Maersk tests Brazilian ethanol mix to make cleaner maritime fuel
Danish shipping company Maersk is testing a blend of Brazilian ethanol with methanol and marine diesel - known as "bunker" - for its vessel engines as part of its efforts to further decarbonize operations, the company announced on Monday.
The initiative could open a new market for Brazil's ethanol industry while helping to reduce the maritime shipping sector's carbon footprint, which currently accounts for about 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Maersk, which represents 15% of the global maritime shipping market, is testing a blend with 10% of ethanol. If the whole industry adopted the fuel mix, it could create demand for 50 B liters (l) of ethanol globally per year. Brazil's expected production this year is around 35 Blpy.
"This is the first time ethanol is being burned in a two-stroke engine that's four stories tall - it's a completely different scale of research and level of concern," said Danilo Veras, VP of Regulatory Policies at Maersk Latam.
Maersk, which aims to achieve net-zero emissions by 2040, chose the Brazilian ethanol for the test because it comes from existing sugarcane areas or, when corn-based, mostly from the same fields as soybeans, lowering potential impacts for deforestation, according to Veras.
Maersk will complete ethanol blend tests in methanol-powered vessels by October 23, followed by bunker fuel testing. If successful, the company would begin negotiations with major Brazilian ethanol producers, including Raizen, Copersucar, Inpasa, FS and Atvos.
Comments