The year behind us was marked by numerous advancements in developing alternative fuel solutions and technologies on the maritime decarbonization quest. The following article brings you an overview of ten milestones that painted the industry landscape in 2024.
MAN ES and Mitsui E&S perform world’s first hydrogen combustion test on marine 2-stroke engine
In early 2024, German engine maker MAN Energy Solutions (MAN ES) and its licensee Mitsui E&S completed the hydrogen combustion operation of a large marine 2-stroke test engine with a bore size of 50 cm on the premises of Mitsui E&S Tamano factory in Japan.
The partners reported that stable operation was achieved at various loads and operating conditions, including successful hydrogen combustion up to 100% load. Mitsui E&S also confirmed greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions of up to 95%, with the remaining fraction originating from the pilot-fuel employed during testing.
Industry-first advisory on methanol bunkering published by ABS
Classification society American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) released an industry-first advisory on methanol bunkering in April 2024, providing the maritime industry with insight into the challenges of bunkering methanol and strategies to address them.
The ABS Methanol Bunkering: Technical and Operational Advisory delivers guidance regarding the technical and operational challenges of the supplier to the receiving vessel including critical design issues, regulatory compliance, safe practices, areas of operational processes to consider, training and safety aspects.
X-Press Feeders celebrates ‘world’s first’ methanol dual-fuel boxship retrofit; launches Europe’s first green methanol-powered feeder network
Fast forward to June 23, 2024, Singapore-based independent common carrier X-Press Feeders took delivery of the first methanol dual-fuel retrofitted feeder vessel, the 1,170 TEU Eco Umande, from PaxOcean’s Zhoushan yard in China.
Several days later, on July 9, the shipping player launched Europe’s first scheduled feeder network serviced by green methanol-powered vessels, starting with Rotterdam and Antwerp Bruges to Finland and the Baltics.
NYK debuts ammonia-fueled ship for commercial use
In late August 2024, Japanese shipping giant NYK Line revealed that the conversion of the LNG-fueled tugboat Sakigake to an ammonia-fueled tugboat had been completed, creating “the world’s first” ammonia-powered ship for commercial use.
The ammonia-fueled tugboat is part of a Green Innovation Fund Project initiated in October 2021 under Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) to develop vessels equipped with domestically produced ammonia-fueled engines.
GCMD-led consortium carries out STS ammonia transfer at anchorage
Another “world’s first” development took place in September 2024 when the Global Center for Maritime Decarbonization-led consortium performed a ship-to-ship (STS) transfer of ammonia at anchorages within the Port of Dampier.
Courtesy of Yara International
Two STS transfers were undertaken between Green Pioneer, a 35,000 cubic meter (cbm) ammonia carrier owned by Japanese shipping company Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), and Navigator Global, a 22,500 cbm ammonia carrier owned by UK-based shipowner and operator Navigator Gas. The trial involved a dual transfer of 4,000 cbm (approximately 2,715 tonnes) of ammonia,