Is methanol a future marine fuel for shipping?

Abstract

Methanol as a future candidate marine fuel has drawn enormous attention recently due to its clean combustion and abundance supply from various resources. The study looks into renewable energy sources such as biomass, renewable electricity and carbon capture with their potential to produce methanol. It is found that the productivity of biomass and the electrons generated from renewable means such as solar, wind and hydro are critical to meet the future demand to use methanol as marine fuel, which could be part of the solutions to achieve the goal set by IMO (International Maritime Organization) to reduce global marine GHG (greenhouse gas) emission by 50% in 2050. In order for the shipping industry to adopt methanol as an alternative fuel, enhancement in renewable methanol production technology will play a vital role.