Methanol as Marine Fuel

Liquid alcohol fuel adopted by some newbuild container, tanker, and ferry fleets. Methanol is bunkered at ambient temperature and pressure, simplifying infrastructure compared with cryogenic LNG. Engine technology is mature for two-stroke (MAN ME-LGIM) and four-stroke (Wärtsilä, MAN) applications using pilot-fuel ignition. IMO Interim Guidelines (MSC.1/Circ.1621) cover safety of ships using methanol as fuel. Lifecycle CO2 depends on production pathway — green methanol from renewable hydrogen is climate-neutral, grey methanol from natural gas is not. Major orderbooks at 2024–2025 include large containerships from Maersk and HMM.