Selected Headlines on Alternative Fuels & Technologies 2025

SELECTED HEADLINES ON ALTERNATIVE FUELS & TECHNOLOGIES

 BY INTERCARGO- April 2025

DRY BULK SHIPPING FOCUS

Lifecycle study finds burning heavy fuel oil with scrubbers the best available option for bulk maritime shipping
In a new lifecycle assessment study, researchers from MIT, Georgia Tech, and elsewhere found that burning heavy fuel oil with scrubbers in the open ocean can match or surpass using low-sulfur fuels, when a wide variety of environmental factors is considered. (Green Car Congress: click here)

Fortescue to Operate Ammonia-Fueled Ore Carrier from CMB.TECH
Fortescue will deploy one of the fleet of 210,000 dwt ammonia-fueled bulkers currently being built by CMB.TECH. (Maritime Executive: click here)

METHANOL

Maersk on methanol and adding biomethane to the mix
Maersk head of energy transition Morten Bo Christiansen explains Maersk’s fuel choices. (Riviera: click here)

Mabanaft and HIF Global looking to accelerate shipping’s e-methanol take-up
Mabanaft said that the initial offtake would be of up to 100,000 tonnes of e-methanol produced from renewable electricity and captured CO₂ per year. (Bunkerspot: click here)

Louisiana green methanol project enters FEED stage
SunGas Renewables Inc. has announced the start of front-end engineering design (FEED) for the Beaver Lake Renewable Energy green methanol project it is developing with C2X in Rapides Parish, Louisiana. (Bunkerspot: click here)

NYK orders its first methanol-fuelled VLCC backed by long-term charter
Japanese owner adds to large tanker orderbook in domestic deal.(TradeWinds: click here)

Wan Hai adds to South Korean newbuilding tally with order for 16,000-teu dual-fuel quartet
Samsung Heavy Industries and HD Hyundai Samho to divide the spoils of $800m order. (TradeWinds: click here)

OOCL splashes out $3bn on 14 large container ship newbuildings in China
Liner company contracts series of dual-fuel vessels. (TradeWinds: click here)

AMMONIA

Amogy accelerates commercialization of ammonia cracking catalyst in partnership with JGC
Amogy, a provider of ammonia-to-power solutions, announced the first pilot plant deployment of its advanced ammonia cracking catalyst with JGC Holdings Corporation (JGC), a global engineering company headquartered in Japan.
(Green Car Congress: click here)

Wärtsilä, Höegh Evi and partners successfully complete development of world’s first floating ammonia-to-hydrogen cracker
Wärtsilä Gas Solutions, part of technology group Wärtsilä, and Höegh Evi, a global provider of marine energy infrastructure, have successfully completed development of the world’s first floating ammonia-to-hydrogen cracker.
)Green Car Congress: click here)

Ammonia bunkering pilot delivery undertaken in Rotterdam
The pilot involved transferring 800 cubic metres (cbm) of liquid, cold ammonia at -33 degrees Celsius and took about two and a half hours to complete. (Bunkerspot: click here)

HYDROGEN

 Indonesia green hydrogen project launches to decarbonise maritime transport
The Indonesian Ministry of Transportation, state-owned electricity utility PLN, ferry operator ASDP and the Indonesian subsidiary of hydrogen developer HDF Energy have signed an agreement for a joint study to decarbonise the country’s maritime sector using locally produced green hydrogen. (Bunkerspot: click here)

 BIOMASS/BIOFUELS

Repsol and Bunge to boost development of renewable fuels in Europe with intermediate crops
Repsol and Bunge are incorporating intermediate novel crops in the production of renewable fuels. (Green Car Congress: click here)

How Singapore-based start-up aims to become the world’s largest supplier of bio-LNG
Staffed with a host of gas shipping heavy-hitters, Straits Bio-LNG plans to begin supplying the global fleet in late 2027. (TradeWinds: click here)

Moeve offering 2G marine biofuels in Ceuta
Moeve has announced that it is offering second generation (2G) biofuels to its marine customers in Ceuta. (Bunkerspot: click here)

Swire Shipping introduces biofuels on South Pacific trades
Three Swire Shipping vessels operating on South Pacific routes have switched to using B24 and B30 second generation biofuel blends.(Bunkerspot: click here)

SK Incheon Petrochem launches B30 biofuel supply in South Korea
In a statement issued today (30 April), SK Incheon Petrochem said the B30, which contains 30% bio-based raw materials, has been developed ‘to meet the evolving sustainability needs of the maritime sector.’ (Bunkerspot: click here)

Molgas wraps up its first bio-LNG bunkering operation in Spain
Molgas Energy Group has announced the completion of its first bio-LNG bunkering operation in Spain. (Bunkerspot: click here)

Norden claims world-first voyage using drop-in biofuel from a carbon-negative process
Danish shipping giant Norden is celebrating what it claims is a world-first, completing a voyage from Singapore to Brazil using biofuel from what it claims came from a carbon-negative process. (Splash247: click here)

CARBON CAPTURE

 N/A

TECHNOLOGIES

Sea-Cargo retrofitting two more RoRos with Norsepower Rotor Sails
The Norwegian shipowner Sea-Cargo will be retrofitting two more of its RoRo vessels, the MV Trans Hav and MV Trans Sol, with Norsepower Rotor Sails.(Ship Energy: click here)

Aalo Atomics unveils first non-nuclear prototype of its Aalo-1 reactor; purpose-built for AI and data centers
Aalo Atomics, a company building fully modular nuclear plants (XMRs) to power modern AI data centers, unveiled the first non-nuclear prototype of its Aalo-1 reactor as well as its 40,000 ft² manufacturing facility in Austin. (Green Car Congress: click here)

WinGD to deliver first hybrid integration for wind-assisted tankers
Swiss marine power specialist WinGD will integrate hybrid power and energy systems on four wind-assisted tankers currently under construction for Union Maritime Limited (UML), marking the first deployment of the company’s X-EL Integrated Energy solution alongside wind propulsion. (Motorship: click here)

Wärtsilä adds methane slip-reducing NextDF technology to its 46TS-DF engine
Wärtsilä has extended its methane slip reduction capabilities by adding its NextDF technology to a third engine, the dual-fuel Wärtsilä 46TS-DF. (Bunkerspot: click here)

Hamburg Proceeds with Shore Power at All Terminals for Large Containerships
Less than a year after becoming the first port in Europe to offer shore power for large containerships, Hamburg, Germany is on track to complete the installation of shore power capabilities at all its terminals for large containerships. (Maritime Executive: click here)

Norway’s Largest Battery-Powered Ferry Starts Delivery Run from Turkey
The largest fully battery-powered ferry planned for operations in Norway’s Arctic fjord region has completed construction and began its delivery run from Turkey to Norway this week. (Maritime Executive: click here)

Micro modulator reactor tech in the spotlight in latest nuclear-powered shipping initiative
Queensland’s ship design group Seatransport and Houston-based Deployable Energy are collaborating with Lloyd’s Register (LR) to develop nuclear power generation for different applications, including strategic response vessels in remote areas. (Splash247: click here)

DECARBONISATION

Vitol launches new FuelEU compliant co-processed VLSFO offering for marine customers
Vitol Bunkers has announced today (28 April) that is to offer customers FuelEU compliant co-processed bunkering fuel that is being produced by its 100,000 barrels a day (b/d) refinery in Fujairah. (Bunkerspot: click here)

Free calculator launched for shipowners to navigate IMO’s new green deal
GCMD’s new calculator is available for trial (GCMD: click here)

Fuel for thought: LNG report
This report offers a current analysis of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) as a shipping fuel. It highlights LNG’s increasing availability and immediate emissions benefits compared to other fossil options, and its potential synergy with onboard carbon capture. (Lloyd’s Register: click here)

Bureau Veritas VeriFuel publishes Q1 bunker quality stats
Bureau Veritas VeriFuel’s Q1 bunker quality stats show an increase in the global average viscosity of very low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO). (Bunkerspot: click here

SELECTED HEADLINES ON ALTERNATIVE FUELS & TECHNOLOGIES

 BY INTERCARGO – March 2025

DRY BULK SHIPPING FOCUS

Odfjell marks first move into wind with installation of four bound4blue eSAILs on BOW Olympus
bound4blue and Odfjell have completed the first installation of a wind propulsion system for the chemical tanker specialist, retrofitting four eSAILs® on the 49,000 dwt Bow Olympus. (Ship Management International: click here)

Berge Bulk retrofits first vessel with front-end shaft generator
Dry bulk operator Berge Bulk becomes the first to retrofit Renk’s Integrated Front-end Power System (IFPS) to boost fuel efficiency. (Ship Energy: click here)

MOL and CMB.Tech team up to own and operate ‘world’s first’ ammonia-powered capesizes and chemical tankers
Japanese giant MOL takes a stake in newbuild bulkers as part of a collaboration with CMB.Tech to deploy the first ammonia-powered capesize vessels. (TradeWinds: click here)

METHANOL

WinGD delivering largest methanol-fueled engine to date to shipyard
Swiss marine power company WinGD’s first methanol-fueled engine is to be delivered to the shipyard after passing factory and type approval tests. (Green Car Congress: click here)

Singapore publishes Technical Reference for methanol bunkering
MPA and EnterpriseSG have released TR 129, setting operational standards for methanol bunkering. (Bunkerspot: click here)

MOL joins e-methane coalition
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines joins an international alliance to accelerate development and uptake of e-methane. (Motorship: click here)

China launches methanol dual-fuel ship engine
CSSC unveils a 64,500 kW methanol-diesel dual-fuel engine developed domestically. (Bunkerspot: click here)

New Mexican facility aiming to produce ‘ultra-low carbon methanol’

2.1 million tons per year ultra-low carbon methanol plant in Mexico based on its proprietary NX AdWinMethanol® Zero technology. (Nextchem: click here)

AMMONIA

Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners develops ammonia bunkering manual
CIP has partnered with industry stakeholders to publish a comprehensive ammonia bunkering guide. (Ship Energy: click here)

WinGD hails ‘exceptional results’ in full-load ammonia engine testing
The Swiss engine maker reports diesel-comparable efficiency and performance in X-DF-A ammonia engine trials. (Ship Energy: click here)

HYDROGEN

MOL in world’s first onshore supply of ship-produced green hydrogen
MOL has achieved a milestone in hydrogen innovation by supplying green hydrogen from ship to shore. (Splash247: click here)

RWE and TotalEnergies agree on long-term offtake agreement for green hydrogen
Agreement secures 30,000 tonnes/year over 15 years in one of the largest green hydrogen offtake deals. (Green Car Congress: click here)

BIOMASS/BIOFUELS

St1 Biokraft expands biomass production capacity and targets marine market
The Nordic company has acquired a new biogas plant in Sweden to boost marine-grade biomethane supply. (Bunkerspot: click here)

Brazilian refinery produces marine fuels from eucalyptus biomass oil
Petrobras has completed co-processing trials using 5% eucalyptus biomass oil at industrial scale. (Bunkerspot: click here)

Baltic Exchange adds biofuel blends to its FEUM calculator
Tool update enables shipowners to calculate compliance costs using green fuel options. (Ship Energy: click here)

Titan completes first LNG and bio-LNG bunkering to MOL under new term contract
Titan Clean Fuels has begun multi-delivery bunkering operations for MOL’s vehicle carriers. (Ship Management International: click here)

Molgas kicks off bio-LNG bunkering operations in Zeebrugge
Molgas begins bio-LNG supply operations at Port of Zeebrugge. (Bunkerspot: click here)

New North American plant aims to produce over 50,000 TPA of e-methane
StormFisher Hydrogen partners with MAN Energy Solutions on pre-FEED for major e-methane plant. (Ship Energy: click here)

American Biogas Council launches biogas carbon accounting tool
ABC’s new Biogas CAT offers lifecycle carbon analysis for project developers. (Ship Energy: click here)

CARBON CAPTURE

Seatrium completes installation of CO₂ capture system onboard MOL LR1 product tanker
The Nexus Victoria becomes the first Japanese vessel with a commercially installed carbon capture unit. (Bunkerspot: click here)

Value Maritime installs EGCS and carbon capture tech onboard MOL tanker
Value Maritime installs its Filtree scrubber and carbon capture unit on Nexus Victoria. (Bunkerspot: click here)

TECHNOLOGIES

Four Japanese maritime companies join Digital Twin Project
“K” LINE, Kyokuyo Shipyard, Mitsui E&S, and Sumitomo Heavy Industries join cross-industry collaboration. (NAFS Green: click here)

Engine Retrofit Report: Applying alternative fuels to existing ships
Lloyd’s Register releases a report examining retrofit demand and pathways for decarbonising legacy fleets. (Lloyd’s Register: click here)

Floating nuclear power: CORE POWER’s vision for maritime energy
CORE POWER unveils plans for floating nuclear reactors under the Liberty program. (Motorship: click here)

Stena Line’s new methanol hybrid Ro-Ro to be equipped with Norsepower rotor sails
Rotor sails to be installed on Stena Connecta, enhancing efficiency for methanol hybrid vessel. (Ship Energy: click here)

DECARBONISATION

Panama Canal to launch transit slot for low carbon emissions vessels
New canal slot will reward ships with lower carbon intensity by year-end. (Bunkerspot: click here)

Baltic Exchange adds green fuels to voyage tool
FuelEU Maritime calculator now includes additional green fuels for voyage planning. (Motorship: click here)

California launches satellite project to reduce methane leaks
State-wide satellite initiative targets methane monitoring for regulatory action. (Green Car Congress: click here)

Poseidon Principles for Marine Insurance releases latest disclosure report
The third annual report details the alignment of insured fleets with climate goals. (Poseidon Principles: click here)

SELECTED HEADLINES ON ALTERNATIVE FUELS & TECHNOLOGIES

 BY INTERCARGO – February 2025

DRY BULK SHIPPING FOCUS

N/A

METHANOL

 WinGD delivering largest methanol-fueled engine to date to shipyard

Swiss marine power company WinGD’s first methanol-fueled engine is to be delivered to the shipyard after passing factory and type approval tests. (Green Car Congress: click here)

New Mexican facility aiming to produce ‘ultra-low carbon methanol’

NEXTCHEM has announced that is subsidiary KT Tech has been awarded a licensing contract for the implementation of NEXTCHEM’s NX AdWinMethanol Zero technology at the Pacifico Mexinol ‘ultra-low carbon methanol’. (Ship. Energy: click here)

AMMONIA

 NH3 Clean Energy has signed an MoU with Pilbara Ports to explore the export of 600,000 TPA of clean ammonia, supporting the transition to alternative fuels.

The MoU will facilitate the loading and export of clean ammonia from the WAH2 Project and it will help solidify Australia’s role as a leader in clean energy exports. (Ports strategy: click here)

NYK and partners’ ammonia-fuelled ammonia bunkering vessel design to be submitted to MPA following AiP

Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha’s (NYK) ammonia-fuelled ammonia bunkering vessel design will now be submitted to the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) after it received class Approval in Principle (AiP). (Bunkerspot: click here)

China advances ammonia fuelled shipping

China leads the world in ship owning and ship building, and ammonia is high on its agenda for the future. (Motorship: click here)

Sailing into history: ammonia engines to hit the water in 2025

The first oceangoing ships to trial two-stroke, ammonia dual-fuel engines will set sail later this year, setting the table for commercialisation of the engine technology, and potentially broader uptake of the carbon-free fuel. (Riviera: click here)

 A third of shipping will run on ammonia, MAN predicts

Engine maker hails promising test results as it readies engines to go on sale at end of 2026. (Lloyds list.: click here)

HYDROGEN

Shoreham Port plans green hydrogen future

Shoreham Port and ScottishPower have partnered on a feasibility study for a green hydrogen production facility, aiming to boost alternative fuel infrastructure and support net-zero ambitions. (Ports strategy: click here)

BIOMASS/BIOFUELS

 EIA: Consumption of renewable diesel continues general growth trend on the US West Coast

Renewable diesel is increasingly replacing petroleum diesel on the US West Coast, where state-level policies are attracting new production capacity and shipments to the region, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA).  (Green Car Congress: click here)

Furetank wraps up first bio-LNG bunkering

Sweden’s Furetank has announced it has completed its first bunkering of 200 tonnes of ISCC certified mass balanced bio-LNG. (Bunkerspot: click here)

Rio Tinto trials use of Neste renewable diesel in Australian operations

Neste has reported that Rio Tinto has recently trialled the use of Neste MY Renewable Diesel across its network of Western Australian ports, railways and mines. (Bunkerspot: click here)

BAC RE inks MoA for Malaysian biofuels hub

BAC Renewable Energy (BAC RE) has signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with Dovechem Terminal Langsat and TLP Terminal for the development of a biofuels storage and exporting hub at Tanjung Langsat Port, Johor. (Bunkerspot: click here)

CARBON CAPTURE

 N/A

 TECHNOLOGIES

Japan’s Mitsui E&S sees rising demand for dual-fuel engines

Japanese engine manufacturer Mitsui E&S Group has observed growing interest in dual-fuel engines while highlighting a favourable environment for the country’s shipbuilding industry. (Riviera: click here)

Maritime surpasses 1,000 battery-powered vessel milestone

More than 1,000 vessels are now operating with batteries on board to provide all-electric or hybrid propulsion, a significant decarbonisation milestone for the sector. (Riviera: click here)

MOL invests in vessel drag reduction technology

The ripple-shaped Flowsmart elements reduce the generation of drag-inducing larger vortices in the water flow around a vessel’s hull and thus help to increase efficiency and lower fuel consumption. (Lloyds list.: click here)

 DECARBONISATION

Shell’s latest LNG Outlook shows strong growth in demand from shipping

Shell is forecasting that global LNG demand will rise by around 60% by 2040. (Bunkerspot: click here)

Alternative fuel bunkering and shore power projects awarded EU funding

Two projects for ammonia and methanol bunkering infrastructure in the Spanish ports of Huelva and Algeciras, as well as electrification and onshore power projects in nine European ports, are among the 39 projects to receive funding. (Bunkerspot: click here)

India sets out strategy for future marine fuels

The Indian Directorate General of Shipping’s Future Fuel Strategy aims to ‘establish India as a global leader in green maritime technology’. (Ship. Energy: click here)

Not decarbonizing ? Then we won’t lend, says ING

Dutch bank’s target clients are top tier owners, with commitment to environmental goals one of the criteria to them holding that status. (Lloyds list.: click here)

MOL decarbonisation unit boosts investment in E-fuels producer Twelve Benefit

The investment builds on its earlier stake in Twelve and boosts MOL’s commitment to decarbonisation in shipping. (Lloyds list.: click here)

SELECTED HEADLINES ON ALTERNATIVE FUELS & TECHNOLOGIES

 BY INTERCARGO – January 2025

DRY BULK SHIPPING FOCUS

J-POWER completes first bulk carrier Rotor Sail retrofit

The installation on board the Yodohime was carried out in December last year with the first voyage completed this month. (Motorship: click here)

METHANOL

Methanol four-stroke engines ready for first installations

Caterpillar has gained class approval for its dual-fuel methanol engines for tugboats and workboats, and is developing ways to deliver hybrid propulsion solutions. (Riviera: click here)

Repsol to invest more than €800M in Ecoplant renewable methanol project

Located in Tarragona, this facility—expected to receive an investment of over €800 million (US$834 million)—will become the first plant in Europe to produce renewable and circular methanol from waste through gasification. (Green Car Congress: click here)

AMMONIA

 MAN Runs Ammonia Engine at Full Load, Moving Closer to Introduction

The efforts to introduce the first commercial ammonia-fueled engines took another step closer to completion as MAN Energy Solutions has for the first time run a two-stroke engine at 100 percent engine load. (Maritime Executive: click here)   

ExxonMobil and Trammo sign HOA for low-carbon ammonia offtake, advancing the world’s largest low-carbon hydrogen project; 300,000 to 500,000 tonnes of low-carbon ammonia annually

The facility is expected to be the world’s largest of its kind, capable of producing up to 1 billion cubic feet (bcf) daily of “blue” hydrogen. (Green Car Congress: click here)

WinGD early testing of its X-DF-A ammonia-fuelled engine

Swiss marine engine manufacturer WinGD has achieved successful early testing of its X-DF-A ammonia-fuelled engine, with key parameters meeting expectations. (Motorship: click here)

 HYDROGEN

BIOMASS/BIOFUELS

Biofuel can deliver significant GHG emissions

Biofuels play a critical role in decarbonising the maritime industry, but their future growth of biofuels may be limited by supply, warns DNV. (Ports strategy: click here)

Biofuels in Shipping

Current market and guidance on use and reporting. (DNV: click here)

CARBON CAPTURE

Liquefied CO2 carrier delivered to pioneering Carbon Capture and Storage project in Norway

K” LINE Group reports that newly built liquefied CO2 carrier ‘Northern Pathfinder’ was handed over to the Norway’s Northern Lights joint venture at Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Co. (Ship Management International: click here)   

Role of Carbon Dioxide Removal in the NYK Group’s Decarbonization Strategy.

NYK Group has today (27 January) published a position paper calling for ‘a global framework to promote the use of carbon dioxide removal (CDR)’ as a means of reducing ‘Scope 1’ direct emissions.( NYK: Click here)

Solvang gas carrier in ‘world-first’ test of full-scale onboard carbon capture system

Full scale testing of OCCS could underpin wider use in shipping, providing “a significant shortcut to decarbonisation”(Riviera: click here)

TECHNOLOGIES

World’s largest sail-powered cargo ship launched in Turkey

With two 90-metre masts and 3,000 square metres of sails, this vessel is preparing for its first transatlantic voyage in summer 2025. (Ship Management International: click here)   

Berge Rederi and Norsepower ink rotor sail agreement for two North Sea cargo vessels

Each vessel will be equipped with two fixed 24m x 4m Norsepower Rotor Sails. (bunkerspot: click here)   

 DECARBONISATION

Alternative fuel newbuild ordering binge in 2024 pushes global fleet past 2,000 vessels

While green fuel availability remains uncertain, shipowners signed contracts for a record 515 alternative fuel-capable newbuilds, representing a 38% year-on-year growth, led by orders for 264 LNG-fuelled ships. (Riviera: click here)

South Korea launches $680m green fuel infrastructure fund

Funds will go to the construction of green marine fuel storage facilities and new bunkering vessels by 2030. (Lloyds list: click here)      

Record number of LNG-fuelled vessels delivered in 2024

A total of 515 alternatively fuelled vessels were ordered in 2024, which represents a 38% year-on-year increase on 2023’s orders. (Lloyds list: click here)      

Green fuel sales surge at Singapore

Sales of alternative fuels in Singapore surpassed 1 million tonnes for the first time in 2024, marking a significant milestone. (Ports strategy: click here)