Port of Rotterdam Expects Regular Methanol Bunker Sales From Summer 2023

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Friday January 27, 2023

The Port of Rotterdam is expecting regular commercial methanol bunker operations to commence at the Northwest European hub later this year after some trials in 2021 and 2022.

Rotterdam saw a total of 1,500 mt of methanol bunker sales last year, up from 250 mt in 2021. These operations were on a trial basis, but methanol bunkering will become more of a regular occurrence from the second half of this year, the port authority said in an emailed statement on Friday.

 "For the first time, some sea-going vessels bunkered methanol, but from the summer of 2023, sea-going vessels will arrive on a regular basis to bunker this fuel," the port authority said.

A demonstration methanol bunkering operation was carried out at Rotterdam in May 2021. 

Methanol is rapidly growing in prominence as an alternative marine fuel, with significant interest from the container segment in particular. between them AP Moller-Maersk, CMA CGM and COSCO currently have 666,100 TEU of methanol-fuelled boxships on order, representing just over 2.5% of current global container capacity.

Maersk's first methanol-fuelled container ship is due for delivery in the middle of this year.

Ship & Bunker News Team
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