Methanex Conducts First Net-Zero, Biomethanol-Powered Voyage

Methanex and MOL have carried out the world's first net-zero voyage powered by methanol, the two companies announced Monday. 

Methanex co-owns Waterfront Shipping, which has a fleet of dual-fuel tankers that can run on Methanex's methanol product. On this voyage, the MOL-owned, Waterfront-operated tanker Cajun Sun ran on a mix of biologically-derived biomethanol - which has net-negative carbon emissions - with conventional natural gas-based methanol. The mixture was calibrated to produce a net-zero greenhouse gas footprint on a lifecycle basis. Cajun Sun crossed the Atlantic on an 18-day voyage on this fuel. 

Methanex emphasized that the groundbreaking voyage was an example of how shipowners can use methanol to rapidly attain net-zero operations. Biomethanol and green methanol are also the zero-carbon fuels of choice for Maersk Group, which has taken the lead on decarbonization in deep-sea shipping.