A.P. Moller–Maersk (Maersk) has announced that it is trialling adding ethanol to the fuel mix for its methanol-fuelled containership fleet as a possible means of enlarging the pool of methanol fuel available.
The dual-fuel vessel Laura Maersk, which became the first container ship capable of sailing on methanol as fuel when launched in 2024, is being tested using an E10 fuel blend, with 90% e-methanol and 10% ethanol. The result of the trial will allow Maersk to gauge the impact of the fuel blend on key parameters such as ignition, combustion, lubricity, and emissions. The effect of the E10 fuel on NOx emissions is regarded as critical.
The 2100 TEU Laura Maersk operates on short voyage sin the Baltic region, which Maersk says provides an ideal opportunity to experiment with different fuel blends.
Maersk says that it intends to continue to introduce large methanol-fuelled vessels. The company has taken delivery of 12 container ships of 16,000 TEU that are capable of running on methanol, as well as retrofitting a further vessel, and has more ships on order. Sourcing sufficient quantities of methanol fuel is proving to be a challenge, so if ethanol can be successfully added to the mix this will expand its bunker fuel pool.
Image: ‘Laura Maersk’ (source: A.P. Moller–Maersk)
