New study published: Green methanol as an alternative marine fuel
April 7, 2025
New study published: Green methanol as an alternative marine fuel
New study: Green methanol as an alternative marine fuel
Credit:
Greenpeace
A study on the topic of green methanol in shipping was published on 7 April 2025.
The study was conducted by the Institute for Maritime Energy Systems on behalf of Greenpeace.
The conclusion of the study: green methanol is well suited as an alternative fuel in shipping, but the production capacities are too low to potentially cover the overall needs of shipping.
The aim of the study by Greenpeace Germany was to provide an overview of the potential savings in CO₂ emissions that green methanol has in shipping in Germany.
Key findings of the study are that up to 96% of CO₂ emissions can be saved over the entire life cycle by using green methanol as an alternative fuel in the German shipping fleet. Retrofitting existing ship engines with green methanol is possible without any problems. In addition, handling in harbours is uncomplicated and has low environmental risks. However, production capacities are too low to cover the potential demand of up to 5.73 million tonnes per year for ships sailing in Germany. Considerable investment would be required here.
