Page 28: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (May 2022)

FUTURE FUELS

Methanol’s combustion performance “might not be best- it, and of course at what price,” the DNV expert says, a nod in-class”, he says, but it does allow priority to be given the to the stated aim of getting methanol from renewables. Those electrical supply in a MAN-made engine. MAN execs note ordering vessels with methanol-capable engines today are that four-stroke RPMs are “10-times faster” with methanol, “trying to secure green methanol production, and what we see so you need more fuel in the combustion chamber — and a in general is that potential producers are trying to understand larger chamber. what the demand will be. So, I think it’s the chicken and the egg story we had with LNG—producers are not certain about

Challenges the demand, the ship owners are not certain about the supply.”

Chryssakis says methanol has bene? ts, especially for crews. DNV con? rms, however, that ship owners and potential “From among all of the alternative fuels that we have, it’s the suppliers of methanol are talking volumes and ? lling loca- one that’s easiest to handle,” he says, adding that “the CAPEX tions. Owners know methanol will be pricier but that it’ll be or investment for a vessel is relatively low because you don’t inline with other greener fuels. In some segments, like con- have cryogenic or pressurized tanks”. tainer shipping, charterers are seen paying extra knowing that,

Methanol might need more space than LNG for plant and “In the medium and long-term, we’re going to have regula- storage, up to two-and-a-half-times more space than with fuel tions that will ask for less carbon in fuels.” oil, or about what LNG needs. But, apart from room, “The In August 2021, Maersk ordered eight green methanol fu- main challenge is how do you produce green methanol, and eled ocean-going vessels to be delivered from Q1 2024. They if we’re going to have enough green methanol when we need also invested in WasteFuel, another California start-up mak-

World First: a hydrogen powered bulker design by Norwegian

Ship Design for shipyard Egil Ulvan Rederi.

Courtesy Norwegian Ship Design 28 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • May 2022

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