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Scandinavia’s Largest Port Gearing up to Become the Main Methanol Hub in the Region

Last year, the famous Swedish Port of Gothenburg announced that it was building a hydrogen production facility with a 4 MW capacity, together with a Norwegian renewable energy supplier. Continuing on the path toward emissions-free operations, the Port is now ready to enable methanol bunkering ship-to-ship.
The Port of Gothenburg is ready to enable methanol ship-to-ship bunkering 6 photos
Photo: Port of Gothenburg
Port of GothenburgPort of GothenburgPort of GothenburgPort of GothenburgPort of Gothenburg
As the largest port in Scandinavia, Gothenburg has the ambitious goal of cutting shipping emissions in the port area by 70% before the end of the decade. But it also has another big plan, and that is to become the main bunkering and storage hub for renewable methanol in Northern Europe.

Methanol is on the list of alternative fuels for the maritime industry, together with LNG (liquefied natural gas), hydrogen, and ammonia. It can be made from biomass (in which case it’s called bio-methanol) or from carbon dioxide and renewable electricity, resulting in eMethanol. This fuel is said to cut CO2 emissions by 95% and nitrogen oxide emissions by 80% while completely eliminating particulate matter and sulfur oxide.

Several shipping companies have started using methanol on a wider scale, one of them being X-Press Feeders, which is operating eight new container ships that can run on methanol. “We need the ports to be ready when we are to decide where to route our first line of methanol propelled vessels,” said Sven Siemsen, Senior Manager Marketing Europe at X-Press Feeders. And Gothenburg will be one of the first.

The port recently got the green light from the Swedish Transport Agency for ship-to-ship methanol bunkering, followed by the Gothenburg Port Authority publishing the related operating regulations. This is an important step that will encourage new methanol-fueled vessels to come to the area.

The next step will be to also provide methanol for ships in the future. The Port is already working on establishing a supply chain that will allow it to store and provide eMethanol by 2024. Ultimately, it aims to become the largest hub for methanol operations in the region.
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About the author: Otilia Drăgan
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Otilia believes that if it’s eco, green, or groundbreaking, people should know about it (especially if it's got wheels or wings). Working in online media for over five years, she's gained a deeper perspective on how people everywhere can inspire each other.
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