Equinor to bridge green methanol gap for Maersk

The supply agreement is expected to conclude in the first half of 2024. Until then, Equinor will supply green methanol for bunkering in Rotterdam, which will ensure green methanol supply for the vessel once it begins serving a loop from Northern Europe into the Baltic Sea. The vessel is expected to begin operations once a naming ceremong in Copenhagen is concluded next week. 

Over the longer term, the feeder vessel will be fuelled by e-methanol from a plant in Southern Denmark, operated by European Energy, which is expected to come on-stream in the first half of 2024.

Equinor plans to bridge the supply gap by supplying bio-methanol produced from biogas derived from animal manure. The biogas will be upgraded to biomethane and injected into the existing gas grid permitting the methanol to be produced from the biomethane in the grid on a mass-balance basis. 

The existing European biogas certificate system is used to trace the attributes of the biomethane to the biomethanol and safeguard against double-claims. In this way, green methanol can be produced in existing facilities using existing infrastructure and plants enabling a quick route to market. The method can contribute to a greener gas grid while capturing harmful methane emissions that would arise from the manure feedstock if left untouched. The biomethanol is ISCC EU certified in accordance with the EU Renewable Energy Directive.

“Equinor is pleased to be partnering up with Maersk in delivering greener fuels to the marine industry. Equinor is an established player in the European methanol market through its production plant at Tjeldbergodden and we have ambitions to be a key provider of green methanol in the marine fuel segment,” says Alex Grant, Senior Vice President for the liquid commodity segment at Equinor.

“We are very pleased to partner with Equinor, as it’s entering this business area. It is critical to get energy majors to the table and start supplying future fuels at scale. This is the form of engagement we need to continue accelerating the pioneering journey towards a green fuel economy for global shipping. With more than 100 methanol enabled vessels on order across the industry, the demand for green fuel production is rising and will continue to do so in the years to come,” says Rabab Boulos, Chief Infrastructure Officer at A.P. Moller – Maersk.