The Danish shipping giant Maersk on Thursday christened the world’s first ship powered by green methanola crucial stage in its strategic plan to phase out the use of diesel oil and decarbonize maritime transport.
Maersk presented in Copenhagen the “Laura Maersk”a relatively small model that will be able to transport about 2,136 containers (TEU) and will operate from October, mainly in the Baltic Sea.
The ship, built in South Korea by Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) and equipped with a dual-fuel engine, will save 100 tons of CO2 per day compared to a similar one running on diesel.
“Green methanol is our preferred fuel (…) because it is the only solution capable of meeting the requirements of neutrality” of carbon, affirmed the general director of the company, Vincent Clerc, who inaugurated the ship together with the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
Green methanol, also known as “e-methanol”, It is produced by mixing carbon dioxide (CO2) and green hydrogen, which is produced by electrolysis of water with electricity produced from renewable energy.
According to the French Higher Institute of Maritime Economics (ISEMAR), maritime transport pollutes more than air transport worldwide.
It is responsible for 2.89% of greenhouse gas emissions, according to the latest figures published by the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
At the beginning of 2022, the Danish shipowner unveiled a broad strategic plan to progressively eliminate the use of diesel, in order to meet the greenhouse gas reduction objectives set by the European Union within the framework of the Paris Agreement.
Maersk also invested in the production of green methanol given the current lack of supply in the market, and launched a large project in Spain at the end of 2022.
With the support of the Spanish government and the participation of private partners, the project proposed mobilizing an investment of about 10,000 million euros (US$ 10,660 million) to create two large green methanol production centers, one in Andalusia (south) and the other in Galicia (northwest).
The Danish group aims to produce two million tons of green methanol per year by 2030, enough to allow 10% of its ship fleet to decarbonize.
Maersk plans to produce internally in five or six plants spread around the world. In addition to Spain, the multinational also selected Egypt.
Photo: AFP
Source: Gestion
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