Maersk taps Spanish green hydrogen producers for two million tonnes of methanol
Shipping giant pencils in outline of a plan to source a third of its 2030 H2-derived methanol requirements from Iberian producers — who benefit from some of the cheapest production costs in the world
Shipping giant Maersk has taken the first step to source up to a third of its methanol supply from Spain, signing a framework agreement with the government in Madrid yesterday (Thursday) to jointly explore large-scale production of hydrogen-derived green fuels in the region.
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If the agreement is implemented in full, Maersk will source up to two million tonnes per year of e-methanol, made from renewable hydrogen, per year from Spanish producers, helping it towards the six million tonnes of the fuel it needs to meet its 2030 fleet emissions reductions target.
E-methanol is made with hydrogen made from renewable electricity — the “e” in e-methanol denotes electric — which reduces the well-to-wake emissions compared to both heavy fuel oil and conventional methanol.
However conventionally-produced methanol — with all the emissions associated with production — only reduces well-to-wake carbon emissions by around 7% compared to heavy fuel oil, according to standards and verifications firm Bureau Veritas. By comparison, e-methanol can reduce emissions by up to 90%, if the carbon atom is sourced from captured carbon.
The Spanish deal indicates that the Danish shipping giant intends to optimise the potential emissions reductions by opting for the cleanest possible version of the fuel — using the cheapest possible European green hydrogen.
“We are very pleased to explore green fuel opportunities with the Spanish Government, as the country holds key characteristics to help solve this challenge with its great hydrogen ambitions and aspiring sustainability goals,” said chief executive Soren Skou in Maersk. “At the same time, Spain encompasses significant renewable resources and is placed along key shipping routes.”
Maersk does not specify which energy sources will be used for the production of the fuel, but the deal paves a way for production facilities in Andalucia, southern Spain, and Galicia, in the north-west.
The global maritime sector currently emits 940 million tonnes of CO2 per year — 2.5% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions — according to the International Maritime Organisation.
Methanol is a liquid at room temperature, unlike ammonia and hydrogen, with an energy density of 16MJ per litre — close to the 21-24MJ/l of liquefied natural gas, which is also used as a shipping fuel.
By contrast, liquid ammonia needs to be stored below minus 33°C and has an energy density of 15.6MJ/l; liquid hydrogen has to be cryogenically frozen at minus 253°C and contains 9.1MJ/l; while compressed hydrogen (at 700 bar) holds only 5.6MJ/l.
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