Mark Bell, SGMF general manager and chief operating officer. Image Credit: SGMF

• First ISO-compliant life cycle assessment of methanol as a marine fuel, SGMF says
• 15 production pathways assessed by consultancy WSP, with results across four-stroke and two-stroke engines
• Follows the third LNG LCA in April and the first ammonia LCA in 2024
• Full report, executive summary, and infographic free to download from SGMF

The Society for Gas as a Marine Fuel (SGMF) has published a life cycle assessment of methanol as a marine fuel, the third in its series after LNG and ammonia.

The study, carried out by consultancy WSP, evaluates 15 methanol production pathways and finds that methanol made using renewable energy can deliver substantial greenhouse gas reductions, SGMF said in an emailed press release on Wednesday.

SGMF says the study is the first full ISO-compliant LCA of methanol as a marine fuel, following ISO 14040 and 14044, aligned with the IMO's 2024 life cycle assessment guidelines, and critically reviewed by industry experts and academics under ISO 14071.

The emissions calculations cover a range of engine types, including medium-speed four-stroke and low-speed two-stroke engines, with each pathway carrying its own carbon intensity.

The organisation noted that an LCA is a snapshot at a point in time, and said regular updates will be needed as the technology moves, adding that further production-specific pathways, including co-processing, could offer more reductions and may warrant assessment.

"SGMF is the only fuel-agnostic NGO with a proven track on providing clear and fact-based information to the maritime industry, covering technical and environmental aspects of future marine fuels," said SGMF general manager and chief operating officer Mark Bell.

"We therefore take pride in being the first organisation that conducted a high-quality full LCA on methanol as a marine fuel, complementing our portfolio of marine fuel LCAs."

SGMF's third LNG assessment, published in April, put the tank-to-wake GHG saving for LNG against 0.1% sulphur MGO at up to 29%, and its first ammonia study in June 2024 found well-to-wake reductions of up to 61% depending on the engine technology.

By SGMF's own count there are 134 methanol-fuelled vessels in operation and 135 on order, served by 13 methanol bunker vessels and five ports supplying the fuel.