Proof of concept demonstration will help ports, flag administrations and local authorities understand the advantages of adopting Methanol as fuel

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM, July 13, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Methanol Institute (MI) and FASTWATER have released a video highlighting the benefits of Methanol as a marine fuel for small craft operating in ports and inshore waters.

The film highlights the launch in late 2021 of the first pilot boat operated by the Swedish Maritime Administration converted to run on methanol by the FASTWATER consortium. The conversion is the first of a potential fleet conversion by the SMA, adopting Methanol to lower pollution and cut carbon emissions.

The demonstration, held in Stockholm, Sweden, provided a showcase for the ease and practicality of converting an existing marine engine to run on Methanol, as well as the simplicity of the bunkering process. The pilot boat runs on sustainable, renewable biomethanol provided by Södra, which transported the plant-based bio-methanol - used onboard the boat - by road to the pilot station.

With funding from the European Commission, FASTWATER is a consortium of Europe’s maritime research and technology leaders engaged in a project to demonstrate the feasibility of converting existing harbour craft to Methanol fuel. It focuses on high impact outcomes, employing Methanol as a future-proof alternative marine fuel to create a fast track to carbon-neutral shipping.

Sebastian Verhelst, FASTWATER’s coordinator, said: “The reason FASTWATER is focussing on Methanol as an alternative fuel for shipping is because it’s a sustainable way of powering shipping and very importantly: it’s a liquid fuel – that makes things so much easier in terms of integrating the fuel in many different types of vessels.”

Patrik Molander, of engine supplier ScandiNAOS said: “This pilot boat is probably one of the cleanest ships on the water, world-wide because it operates on biomethanol. The effort to convert it is quite limited because there are not so many added systems - we have seen huge request for similar engines on the market.”

Gregory Dolan, CEO, The Methanol Institute, said: “This video is a celebration of the work done by FASTWATER and the SMA which demonstrates the immediate potential of Methanol to help the shipping industry transition to low carbon operations. To continue to grow in uptake, alternative fuels including Methanol need the support of stakeholders including local and national governments which can provide the backing for new approaches that can lower pollution and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.”

Methanol has regulatory approval for use as a fuel by the International Maritime Organization and has been accepted by classification societies, flag and port states as well as by vessel operators and charterers as a safe, compliant and efficient marine fuel.

Methanol has a critical head start of experience-building and applicability as an alternative fuel, enabling vessel operators to move forward with emissions reduction in a phased way at low cost to Opex and Capex.

The video can be accessed HERE and is embedded below.

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For more information contact: Neville Smith – neville.smith@marinercommunications.co.uk

About FASTWATER FASTWATER focuses on methanol, a clean fuel, available in large quantities in most ports today and offering a pathway to a climate-neutral synthetic fuel produced from renewables. FASTWATER aims to start a fast transitionary path to move waterborne transport away from fossil fuels and reduce its pollutant emissions to zero impact using methanol. More information www.fastwater.eu

About the Methanol Institute The Methanol Institute (MI) is the global trade association for the methanol industry, representing the world’s leading producers, distributors, and technology companies. Founded in 1989 in Washington DC, MI now represents its members from five offices around world in Washington DC, Beijing, Brussels, Delhi, and Singapore. MI serves its members as the voice of the methanol industry, representing companies within the membership to governments and businesses around the world to promote the sustainable growth of the industry. MI focuses on advancing the utilization of methanol as a clean fuel in energy-related applications such as land & marine transport, power generation, fuel cells, industrial boilers, and cook stoves. MI also supports sustainable and renewable process to produce methanol as a carbon-neutral chemical and fuel. For more information, please visit www.methanol.org.

Neville Smith
Mariner Communications
+44 7909 960182
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