Maersk Tests Adding Ethanol to Methanol to Enlarge Fuel Availability

Maersk reports it is continuing to test new steps that it can use to address issues within the supply of alternative fuels. The latest trial is using a blend called E10 (10 percent ethanol mixed into the methanol supplied to its dual-fuel vessel) as a possible means of enlarging the availability and sourcing pool of methanol for its dual-fuel fleet.

The company reports the test has recently begun on the Laura Maersk, its smaller (2,100 TEU) methanol dual-fuel feeder ship operating in the Baltic region. The company says that for three years the vessel has operated on methanol with no problems. The smaller ship provides them a test ground to explore new concepts that might be applied to the larger 16,000 TEU dual-fuel vessels in the future.

The trial of E10 involves mixing 10 percent ethanol into the fuel being loaded onto the Laura Maersk with 90 percent methanol. The current bunkering with E10 they report will provide a month to a month and a half of operating data.

They will be looking at a range of issues to see if the ethanol mix creates differences versus the operating experience over the past three years. Specifically, they will look at ignition quality, the way the fuel is burning, and if there are issues or differences in corrosion and lubricity (friction).

A critical area they will also be looking at is the emissions. Are there differences versus pure methanol combustion? The impact of the E10 on NOx emissions, the company also says, is critical.

Maersk and others in the industry have confirmed that the availability of methanol remains one of the key challenges in the adoption of the alternative fuel. Operating a shorter route within the Baltic and Scandinavia has permitted Maersk to use the Laura Maersk for tests.

The company will study the data from the E10 trial. They will consider how it might impact the operation of the larger vessels as Maersk continues the introduction of the big dual-fuel methanol containerships. It completed the introduction of the first series in May 2025 with a dozen large vessels, and it has also converted one large vessel to methanol capabilities.