Methanol plays an important role in the media mix for rapid, cross-sector decarbonisation – but often does not receive the public attention that hydrogen gets. However, methanol is easy to handle, benefits from a mature, wide-ranging infrastructure and has the potential to directly incorporate carbon dioxide from various sources into green production. In the marine industry in particular, several market protagonists are therefore relying on methanol to undercut the IMO’s (International Maritime Organisation) ambitious target of net climate neutrality by 2050.

Reducing CO₂ emissions, increasing handling safety

With this in mind, a further milestone was reached in China in April 2024: on 10 April, the first operational methanol bunker vessel in the People’s Republic, the ‘Hai Gang Zhi Yuan’, supplied the container ship ‘Astrid Mærsk’ with 504 tonnes of environmentally friendly methanol. The transfer system comes from the ELAFLEX Group and was installed as part of the conversion of the former chemical tanker ‘Jiuli 668’. The upgrade of the almost 140-metre-long vessel lasted just 113 days and was carried out at the shipyard facilities of Zhoushan Putuo Changhong Shipbuilding Co Ltd. Initial consultations between the shipyard operators and the experts from MannTek, a Swedish subsidiary of the ELAFLEX Group, began at the start of 2023.

The main components of the transfer system consist of MannTek quick connect/disconnect couplers (QCDC), PERC breakaway couplings (Powered Emergency Release Couplings), a vessel separation device (VSD) and a chemical-resistant composite hose from Dantec (also a member of the ELAFLEX Group). The entire system fulfils the SIL2 safety standard with no exceptions and has the advantage that there are no hydraulic or moving parts; all functions are carried out pneumatically with nitrogen. Another installation has already been delivered to a customer in Singapore.

Methanol on the rise at sea

‘Astrid Mærsk’ is the second vessel of the new Mærsk Equinox class and, together with its sister ships – some of which are already in service and others still under construction – represents world’s first ULCVs (Ultra Large Container Vessel) that can be powered by methanol. As the second largest container ship operator in the world, Mærsk Line has set itself the goal of reaching net zero CO₂ emissions company-wide by 2040.

The ‘Hai Gang Zhi Yang’ is not only the first Chinese methanol bunker vessel, but also the world’s largest – with a loading capacity of 16,000 m³. It can supply container giants during loading and unloading directly at the pier with a high transfer rate (1,250 m³/h, 8” hose), an immense time advantage in view of the high costs associated with longer port downtime. Given these conditions, ELAFLEX Group’s transfer system was chosen to combine effectiveness, flexibility and maximum safety for the sophisticated methanol bunkering. Prospective customers for the transfer system have mainly come from Asia, but negotiations are now also taking place with European shipowners/shipyards/equipment suppliers.