Ethanol debut for WinGD as Maersk vessel makes landmark US bunkering and voyage

In a groundbreaking development for the shipping industry, the Maersk container vessel Tangier Maersk has successfully completed its maiden voyage and bunkering using ethanol fuel. The 9,000 TEU ship, operated by the Maersk shipping line, sailed from Houston to New York under the WinGD X82DF-M engine, marking the first marine bunkering of a 100% bioethanol blend in the United States.

The event was made possible by the world's largest bioethanol producer, POET, supplying the fuel at the Port of Houston in late September. POET produces 3 billion gallons of bioethanol annually across 35 sites, signaling the increasing availability of bioethanol to marine markets.

The WinGD X-DF-M/E engine platform, capable of using both methanol and ethanol fuel, has been in service since 2025. This milestone highlights the operational record of the alcohol fuel engine platform and the progress of WinGD's research and development efforts. Sebastian Hensel, WinGD's Vice President of Research & Development, emphasized that bioethanol as a marine fuel is a natural progression for the company following successful operating experience with methanol.

The successful bunkering operation was a result of strong collaboration between Maersk, Kirby Corporation, the Port of Houston, and the US Coast Guard. Emma Mazhari, Maersk's Vice President of Energy Markets, noted that bioethanol is a scalable, lower-emission fuel option that offers greater flexibility in addressing the maritime industry's transition to lower-carbon fuels.

The chemical similarities between methanol and ethanol allow WinGD's X-DF-M/E engines to use both fuels, providing operators with the option to switch between the two fuels depending on greenhouse gas emissions reduction requirements, cost, and availability. This flexibility contributes to a more cost-effective transition towards net-zero emissions in international shipping.