On 14 September, we celebrated the arrival of the world’s first green methanol powered container ship in Copenhagen at the end of its maiden voyage, making history and setting precedents that will transform the future of shipping.
The vessel, christened Laura Maersk at its naming ceremony in Copenhagen on 14 September, used OCI HyFuels green methanol to sail along one of the world’s busiest shipping routes, setting sail from the port of Ulsan in Korea and passing through Singapore, East Port Said in Egypt, and the port of Rotterdam. Our green methanol provides a 65% greenhouse gas emissions reduction versus the fossil comparator on a lifecycle basis.
Laura Maersk’s successful maiden voyage has been an important milestone for the global shipping industry and its efforts to decarbonize. Given that the industry is responsible for 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, it urgently needs low carbon and renewable fuel alternatives. The journey of the container ship, fueled by OCI HyFuels green methanol, is the proof that green methanol is the low carbon fuels solution for shipping that is ready, effective, safe and operationally viable.
Throughout the journey, we worked closely with our partners at key bunkering hubs around the world to ensure the infrastructure, processes, and licenses were and will continue to be in place to serve growing demand.
To that end, we’ve also been awarded the first green methanol bunkering permit in Egypt’s East and West Port Said. Both ports are along the Suez Canal, through which around 12% of global marine traffic and 30% of container traffic passes each year.
The success of Laura Maersk’s journey, coupled with the milestones achieved by OCI HyFuels and its partners at each of the ports, sets a strong foundation for green methanol as the safe, efficient and ready marine fuel of choice for the shipping industry’s decarbonization today.
