A new report shows the potential for ethanol to make maritime shipping fuel more environmentally-friendly.
“Ethanol as a marine fuel: exploring its usability” by the Maersk Mc-Kinney Møller Center examines ethanol’s potential as a low-carbon fuel for global maritime shipping and concludes that “ethanol is a promising drop-in option for methanol-fueled vessels.”
“Ethanol is emerging as a technically viable complementary fuel within the methanol pathway, supported by growing evidence that methanol dual-fuel engines can operate on ethanol with only limited adjustments,” the report states. “Ethanol’s combustion behavior, emissions profile, and material compatibility closely mirror those of methanol, while ethanol’s higher energy density reduces onboard storage needs.”
According to marine industry sources, more than 110 methanol-capable ships are already in operation worldwide, with roughly 300 more on order. Using ethanol blends in these ships could create an enormous new market opportunity for the global ethanol industry and farmers who grow biofuel feedstocks, while simultaneously helping to slash emissions from the maritime sector. RFA estimates that if the current fleet of methanol-capable ships used renewable ethanol instead, it would create new demand for more than 1 billion gallons.
Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Geoff Cooper welcomed the findings of the report. “This new report from one of the world’s leading marine industry research institutes shows the tremendous potential for using ethanol in the maritime shipping sector,” said Cooper. “Ethanol is a global commodity that is broadly available at a low cost, it reduces GHG emissions by at least 50 percent compared to petroleum, and it offers numerous other attractive fuel and combustion properties.”