Methanol Powered Ships: The Future of Shipping

Methanol-Powered Ships: The future is here

Despite being widely used in several industries for over half a century, Methanol has only caught the fancy of the shipping industry for the last 5 years, ever since Stenna broke through with the first methanol-powered vessel Germanica.

-Over the last 3 years, an increasing number of shipowners have invested in Methanol-powered ships globally, some of them are already class approved by the likes of DNV-GL.

-MAN and Wartsila have certified that powering ships with methanol required no structural changes, with the exception of new fuel rail systems and injectors.

-Bunkering concerns remain, however, the Methanol Institute(MI) claims that because bunkering of methanol is similar to distillate fuel, very few modifications to the existing bunkering infrastructure are required.

– Conversions costs are 1/4th for a Methanol-powered ship than an LNG-powered Ship.

– Methanol is far more environmentally friendly, less toxic in the event of a spill with its higher biodegradability.