Maersk Tests Bioethanol Fuel Supply in US Commercial Operation

Maersk has successfully completed its first commercial operation of ship-to-ship supply of 100% bioethanol to an oceangoing container ship in the United States. The fuel, produced from US corn, was supplied by POET as part of a program with Maersk analyzing the incorporation of different fuels into its dual-fuel engine fleet.

The supply was made to the Tangier Maersk, a 9,000 TEU container ship incorporated this year into Maersk's fleet and equipped with a dual-fuel propulsion system ready to use methanol. The trial is supported by the existing similarities between methanol and ethanol, both alcohols, which allows studying the use of the latter in systems initially designed for the use of methanol as an alternative fuel.

The operation involved the participation of various US companies and agencies. POET supplied the bioethanol from plant sources, while Kirby Corporation was responsible for the transportation of the fuel and support for the maritime supply operation. The Port of Houston provided port coordination and the necessary infrastructure, and the US Coast Guard intervened in the regulatory requirements associated with the procedure.