The number of ships using methanol as a fuel is growing steadily. The ports of Bremen have responded to this development.
In future, ships in Bremen and Bremerhaven will be able to bunker methanol as well as LNG. Clear regulations have been established for this.
In addition to ships that run on conventional fuel, it is primarily container ships and car carriers powered by LNG that are currently moored in the ports of Bremen. At the same time, however, the number of ships using methanol engines is also increasing, according to Bremenports. It can be assumed that this share will grow in the future and replace LNG as the number one alternative fuel.
Now that LNG bunkering has been possible since 2015, the ports of Bremen are also methanol-ready,” said Kristina Vogt, Senator for Economics, Ports and Transformation. “With the regulations now clear, we are well positioned and Bremen also has the best structural prerequisites: There is already methanol-capable storage capacity on the Weser, bunker suppliers in Bremerhaven are looking into expanding, and several companies are involved in the production of green methanol. A lot is happening in this area – and Bremen is at the forefront.”
Ports must ensure safe bunkering of methanol
In order to enable the use and therefore also the spread of more climate-friendly alternatives, it is not just the shipowners who are called upon. The ports must also do their part, for example by enabling reliable, safe bunkering of methanol. In Bremen, a clearly regulated procedure for the approval of bunkering operations is in place.
“When bunkering fuels with a flash point below 55 degrees Celsius – including methanol and LNG, for example – a number of safety aspects must be taken into account,” said port captain Stephan Berger. “However, with the clear instructions we have now issued, shipowners and all other parties involved now know exactly how and when to do what in order to enable the smooth bunkering of alternative fuels.”
According to Bremenports Managing Director Robert Howe, however, “Methanol-Ready” is not just a label. In the long term, the ports of Bremen should remain competitive as a result of the investment. Furthermore, the focus on methanol fits in with the ports’ “green focus strategy”. “We are supporting and promoting the use of new low-carbon fuels in shipping – that is ultimately active climate protection,” says Howe. “The aim must be for universal bunkering to be possible in our universal ports – regardless of whether methanol, LNG, ammonia or, in future, green hydrogen is pumped into the ships’ tanks. The fact that we already have clear process plans and regulations for LNG and methanol is a very good step in the right direction.”
