The Week in Alt Fuels: The methanol bunker footprint

Methanol bunkering, the process of supplying methanol fuel to ships directly at ports, has expanded across Europe, Asia, and parts of North America. Several ports have established methanol bunker locations, including Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) region, Gothenburg, Hamburg, Immingham, Bremerhaven, Kiel, Shanghai, Ningbo-Zhoushan, Guangzhou, Qingdao, Dalian, Shenzhen, Busan, Ulsan, Yokohama, and Kinoe.

Suppliers like Repsol, Mureloil, CIMC Enric, SIPG Energy, China Marine Bunker, Sinopec, Chimbusco Pan Nation, PetroChina, Golden Island, and Global Energy Trading provide physical methanol deliveries and are working towards creating a broader network of ports willing to support methanol bunkering.

Several methanol bunker vessels, known for their ability to carry out ship-to-ship deliveries, have emerged over the years. In Singapore, Golden Centaurus, Golden Antares, Golden Sirius, Anna Cosulich, and Vanda Pioneer are some of these vessels. China's supply network includes Daqing 268, Zhongran Green Energy 85, and Jia Chen 17.

In the US, Golden Centaurus vessels, such as the Kirby 29067, have delivered methanol to Tangier Maersk. Ports in India, the US, New Zealand, Oman, Spain, and the Netherlands are exploring or developing methanol bunker capabilities, although progress varies. The overall geographical spread of methanol bunkering points towards a growing network of supply locations, but the challenge now lies in ensuring dependable availability for ships when they need it.