Danish shipping company Maersk is looking to expand its low-emission fuel options by testing ethanol as an alternative to methanol in its dual-fuel fleet. Currently, trials are taking place on the container ship Laura Mærsk.
Maersk announced a new test that will use a mixture of 50% ethanol and 50% methanol. This follows an initial successful trial conducted in October and November that used a mixture of 10% ethanol and 90% e-methanol. The earlier test showed that ethanol could be safely added to the fuel system without affecting engine performance, allowing for the use of stronger blends in the future.
Emma Mazhari, Head of Energy Markets at Maersk, stated, “At Maersk, we believe it’s important to explore various fuel options and technologies to help the shipping industry meet its climate goals.”
The trials are part of a strategy to diversify fuel sources for Maersk's increasing number of dual-fuel methanol vessels. Laura Mærsk, launched in July 2023, is the world's first dual-fuel containership running on methanol. It was designed to use methanol as a fuel, but since ethanol and methanol have similar chemical properties, the ship's engines can easily use both fuels with only minor changes.
The initial E10 blend test focused on whether the fuel mixture could ignite and burn as well as pure methanol while maintaining similar lubricity and levels of corrosiveness. With positive results from this test, Maersk is set to move on to the E50 test and plans to eventually trial using 100% ethanol.
“Ethanol has a proven history with a well-established market and infrastructure. It offers another route for reducing carbon emissions. By gradually increasing ethanol content, we can learn more about engine performance and combustion effects, which will help us in sourcing fuels,” explained Mazhari.
The ethanol being tested is anhydrous ethanol, the same type found in gasoline in various countries. The United States and Brazil are the largest producers of ethanol, covering 80% of the global market. This fuel is usually made from biomass, like corn or sugar cane.
Maersk stressed that sustainability is a key factor in evaluating ethanol's place in its fuel strategy. The company is conducting a thorough assessment of greenhouse gas emissions, traceability, certification standards, and responsible sourcing to ensure that the ethanol they use does not lead to land conversion, deforestation, or compete with food supplies.
These trials are part of Maersk's larger plan for decarbonization. The company aims to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, a decade earlier than industry standards, and plans to transport at least 25% of ocean cargo using green fuels by 2030. To back these objectives, Maersk implemented a policy in 2021 to order only vessels with dual-fuel capabilities.
By 2025, Maersk expects to have 19 dual-fuel vessels in its fleet and has 24 more methanol-powered ships on order for delivery between 2024 and 2027. Their low-emission fuel options include bio-methanol, e-methanol, and biodiesel, with plans to broaden the portfolio to include liquefied biomethane and LNG from 2027 as new dual-fuel LNG vessels arrive.
Laura Mærsk is a 172-meter vessel with a capacity of 2,100 TEU. It was named by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and operates on a shipping route in the Baltic Sea between Northern Europe and the Bay of Bothnia. The ship's name honors Captain Peter Maersk Moller’s first steamship, purchased in 1886, which also featured the iconic Maersk white seven-pointed star on a light blue background.
Maersk CEO Vincent Clerc has called Laura Mærsk "a historic milestone for global shipping" and "the breakthrough we needed," while acknowledging that the industry still has significant progress to make toward achieving zero emissions.
If the ethanol trials are successful, they could greatly impact the shipping industry as it seeks scalable alternatives to traditional marine fuels. With an existing global market for ethanol, it offers what Maersk refers to as "optionality" in reaching climate targets without the need for entirely new infrastructure.