Corn Ethanol Charts Course as Marine Shipping Fuel

A new report suggests that corn ethanol could become a viable fuel source for ocean-going vessels, creating a major new market for US corn producers.

The National Lab of the Rockies assessed the technical, economic, and environmental potential of ethanol as a marine shipping fuel. Researchers estimate that the existing fleet of methanol dual-fuel vessels alone could consume around 2 billion gallons of ethanol annually under high-substitution scenarios.

Ethanol has properties similar to methanol but offers lower emissions and lower toxicity. Industry representatives believe that even partial adoption of ethanol in shipping could create billions of gallons of new demand and provide an additional long-term market for US corn producers.