Wallenius Wilhelmsen has entered into a two-year fuel contract with Equinor for the supply of mass-balanced bio-methanol, produced in Norway, intended to cut CO2 emissions by 95%.
The agreement marks a key development towards delivering a net-zero end-to-end pilot service for some customers from 2027. The two-year contract is for significant supplies of bio-methanol for WW’s methanol vessels. The fuel will be bunkered in Antwerp and Zeebrugge, and will be certified according to ISCC EU.
Xavier Leroi, COO Shipping Services, Wallenius Wilhelmsen, said: “Signing this deal with Equinor marks an important milestone for us at Wallenius Wilhelmsen. Securing low-carbon bio-methanol supports the decarbonization of our ocean operations, while strengthening our ability to deliver lower emission end-to-end logistics for customers. Partnerships like this are essential to scaling alternative fuels and moving from ambition to execution.”
Alex Grant, SVP Crude, Products and Liquids, Equinor, added: “We continue to see increasing interest in bio-methanol as a practical, scalable solution for decarbonisation of shipping. This partnership with Wallenius Wilhelmsen marks a substantial step forward in bringing Equinor’s bio-based methanol to the growing marine segment for low carbon fuels. Equinor has previously signed supply agreements for bio-methanol with Maersk and NCL, and we are progressing several leads for both bio and conventional methanol supply agreements.”
Christos Chryssakis, VP Energy and Regulations, Wallenius Wilhelmsen, said: “Long-term agreements help create the demand signals fuel producers need to invest and scale production, strengthening the supply chain for alternative fuels and accelerating the transition from pilot projects to commercial deployment across the industry.”
Image: Wallenius Wilhemsen ‘Shaper’ class vessel (source: Wallenius Wilhemsen)
