In Germany, more than 23,000 large aircraft worldwide consume approximately 350 billion liters of fuel annually and account for about 3 percent of human-caused CO2 emissions. For long-haul flights over 4,000 km in particular, there is no alternative to liquid fuels, as only these provide a sufficiently high energy density. The development of sustainable aviation […]
In China, Engine Online reports Guangzhou Port has completed its first ship-to-ship bio-methanol bunkering operation, supplying about 1,000 metric tons of pure bio-methanol to the methanol-fueled bulk carrier Green Future, operated by an NYK Group subsidiary. The fuel was supplied by CIMC Enric’s Zhanjiang facility, which has annual production capacity of 50,000 metric tons. The […]
In Connecticut, Yale-led research team has developed the first standalone device that produces the liquid fuel methanol using only sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide as the ingredients. The artificial “leaf,” like its namesake in nature, is a chemistry marvel. It brings the scientific mimicry of photosynthesis — the process of converting sunlight and water into […]
In Indonesia, the Indonesian Business Post reports the country’s fertilizer producer Pupuk Indonesia will build two methanol plants to support the pending biodiesel blending mandate increase to 50% from July 1 in an effort to reduce import dependence on the key biodiesel production ingredient. The country currently imports 1.5 million metric tons of methanol annually […]
In Tennessee, Chattanooga’s Moccasin Bend Environmental Campus is launching a project that will generate electricity from wastewater methane, a move expected to significantly reduce the campus’s roughly $300,000 monthly energy costs while turning a treatment byproduct into a reliable on-site energy source. The Mainspring system will allow MBEC to produce much of its electricity on-site, […]
In Canada, thyssenkrupp Uhde has been awarded a contract by Halifax-based Nova Sustainable Fuels (NSF) to perform an integration and optimization study for NSF’s biomass-to-methanol project in Nova Scotia, Canada. This study will quantify the value of thyssenkrupp Uhde’s integrated process, including both gasification and methanol synthesis for the production of over 450,000 metric tons […]
In China, scientists have unveiled a sunlight-powered catalyst that transforms methane—the main component of natural gas—directly into ethanol, a high-value liquid fuel and chemical feedstock. The new material, described today in Frontiers in Energy, achieves an apparent quantum efficiency of 9.4%, a record for photocatalytic methane-to-ethanol conversion, while operating under near-ambient conditions. The breakthrough centers […]
In Japan, the city of Yokohama Port and Harbor Bureau from January 1, 2026 will launch an incentive program, the first of its kind in Japan, for methanol-fueled vessels and biofuel-using vessels that will waive 100% of entrance fees, similar to LNG vessels. The goals are to promote the International Container Strategic Port Policy and […]
In China, Hapag-Lloyd has signed a contract with the Chinese shipyard CIMC Raffles for the construction of eight new container ships. The ordered units will each have a capacity of 4,500 TEU and are scheduled for delivery in 2028 and 2029. The investment volume amounts to more than $500 million. The new ships will be […]
In Norway, as the shipping industry explores multiple decarbonization pathways, methanol is gaining attention as a practical and scalable alternative fuel for deep-sea shipping. This is supported by over 450 methanol-capable vessels in operation and on order and technical solutions now available for all major ship types. DNV’s latest white paper, “Methanol fuel in shipping,” […]
