AP Moller-Maersk Group is testing a blend of ethanol and methanol on its first dual-fuel container ships.
Senior Manager of Fuel Transformation, Peter Normark Sorensen, stated that a new attempt is underway, blending 10% ethanol into the methanol fuel bunkered for the 2,100 TEU “Laura Maersk” (built in 2023).
Sorensen said the vessel has been bunkering methanol fuel for the past three years and has been operating in good condition.
The E10 ethanol trial aims to broaden the fuel procurement channels for dual-fuel ships. Maersk also hopes to test ignition performance, combustion conditions, corrosiveness, lubricity, and emission characteristics to verify if there are any differences between standard methanol and the E10 blended fuel. Nitrogen oxide emission data is particularly critical.
Sorensen revealed that the E10 fuel has just been bunkered onto the “Laura Maersk” and will be used during its voyages over the next month and a half, after which the trial will proceed to the next stage. This experiment aims to investigate ethanol’s performance in dual-fuel engines and assess its potential to become a component of future blended fuels.
Sorensen stated that the company is fortunate to have this small dual-fuel container ship to conduct trials and accumulate experience for the shipping industry’s decarbonization exploration.
In recent weeks, Everllence and WinGD have successively released details and test progress of their new ethanol dual-fuel engines.
As a pioneer in the application of marine methanol fuel, Maersk has ordered 23 vessels capable of using this fuel. However, like other shipowners following its lead, it faces challenges in securing sufficient and competitively priced green methanol supply in the decarbonization process. The company subsequently turned to ordering LNG dual-fuel ships and is expected to confirm a second batch of newbuild orders capable of bunkering LNG soon.
