Danish shipping giant A.P. Moller-Maersk (Maersk) is trailing an ethanol-methanol blend on its methanol containership Laura Maersk as part of its efforts to explore multiple technological and fuel pathways.
The 2,100-teu (twenty-foot-equivalent) vessel is now testing a new mix of 90% methanol and 10% ethanol.
The E10 fuel blend bunkered on the Laura Maersk consists of 90% methanol and 10% ethanol.
“At Maersk we need to go down different routes to achieve our climate targets. One option is to test some new fuels on the vessels that we have in operation. Laura Maersk is our methanol vessel that has bunkered methanol for the last three years. She has been burning the methanol with no issues but today we are trying something completely new by adding ethanol. We have added 10% today, to the methanol that is delivered to her called an E10,” Peter Normark Sørensen, the senior fuel transition manager at Maersk, said.
Maersk’s approach involves real-world testing under operational conditions, ensuring that any new fuel solutions are not just innovative but also reliable and scalable.
According to Sørensen, the reason for blending it is to enlarge the availability and the sourcing pool for these dual-fuel vessels.
He added that the trials will help determine whether there any differences between standard methanol and the E10 blend, such as ignition quality, corrosion on the lubricity issues, and emissions performance.
“We have a number of things we would like to test out: For instance, are there any differences between the standard methanol and the E10 in, say, the ignition quality? In the way the fuels are burning? Are there any differences or similarities of the corrosion on the lubricity? And not the least, are the emissions different between the two fuels? For instance, the NOx emissions are one of the things that are crucial here,” Sørensen explained.
The E10 delivered to Laura Maersk is expected to be consumed during the next 1 to 1.5 months. From there, Maersk will be able to decide how it can proceed to its next stage of these testings.
As the tests on the Laura Maersk progress over the next month and a half, the Danish company awaits insights that could shape the future fuel landscape. The Laura Maersk, according to Peter Normark Sørensen, is practical for small scale testing that Maersk can apply later to other dual-fuel vessels in its fleet.
Video credit: Maersk
