Cargill has launched the maiden voyage of Brave Pioneer, the first of five green methanol dual-fuel dry bulk vessels chartered by the company.
Built by Tsuneishi Shipbuilding and owned by Mitsui & Co., the vessel is designed to operate on conventional marine fuels as well as green methanol, a lower-carbon alternative. Cargill said the use of green methanol could reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 70% compared with conventional fuels.
The vessel departed the Philippines and is scheduled to bunker green methanol in Singapore before sailing to Western Australia and onward to Europe. During the voyage, Cargill will conduct operational trials to assess methanol bunkering readiness, traceability of environmental attributes through carbon accounting systems, and demand for lower-carbon freight services.
“Decarbonising global shipping requires a mix of technologies and the willingness to take bold steps before the entire ecosystem is ready,” said Jan Dieleman, President of Cargill’s Ocean Transportation business. “Technologies like green methanol or wind-assisted propulsion come with uncertainty. But as an industry leader, we have a responsibility to test these innovations on the water, share what we learn, and help shape the systems and standards that will enable wider adoption.”
Cargill said the deployment of Brave Pioneer will inform the rollout of four additional dual-fuel vessels expected to join its chartered fleet in the coming years. The company’s shipping decarbonisation efforts also include wind-assisted propulsion, voyage optimisation, energy-efficiency retrofits and the use of alternative fuels such as biofuels and ethanol.
“We know the road to low-carbon shipping will require a mix of solutions and green methanol is one part of that portfolio,” Dieleman added. “These vessels are engineered to perform at a high level on conventional fuel today, while allowing us to switch to greener fuels as availability improves.”
