Danish shipping group Maersk is exploring an expanded use of ethanol as a marine fuel, a move that could reduce its reliance on China while supporting the shipping industry’s decarbonisation drive.
Maersk chief executive Vincent Clerc said that although China currently dominates the supply of alternative fuels such as green methanol, ethanol production is more geographically diversified, with the United States and Brazil leading global output.
“If all the upside is only in China, then some countries will object,” Clerc told the media. “But if the upside is more evenly distributed, then more countries will support it. It will make the green transition something that more countries can see an upside to.”
The global shipping sector faces steeper challenges than most industries in cutting emissions, often requiring costly retrofits to existing vessels or the construction of new ships capable of running on e-fuels.
Momentum is, however, beginning to build. Late last year, Hapag-Lloyd and North Sea Container Line secured a tender to use low-emission, hydrogen-derived fuels on container vessels from 2027 for a minimum of three years, aiming to significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
