In Denmark, The Financial Times reports Maersk is testing ethanol as a marine fuel to reduce its reliance on Chinese-made green methanol and make the shipping industry’s energy shift more politically durable. The company has begun trials aboard the Laura Maersk, starting with a 10 percent ethanol blend in October and moving to a 50–50 mix by December. Full ethanol runs are next.
Chief executive Vincent Clerc said ethanol offers fast scale-up and comes with less cost pressure. He pointed to surplus capacity in the United States and Brazil as a ready supply. “It is a concern if there is only one country that can produce the energy of the future,” he told the Financial Times.
Clerc framed the move as both strategic and political. China now dominates green methanol production, but broadening the fuel mix could help ease US resistance, especially given ethanol’s ties to American agriculture. He suggested more distributed benefits might shift the debate at the International Maritime Organization, where climate talks remain stalled.
Maersk’s diversification push comes as container shipping holds steady despite new tariffs. Clerc acknowledged oversupply may appear in 2026 but said any disruption would likely be short-lived. The fuel strategy, he noted, is about long-term resilience.
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Category: Sustainable Marine Fuels
