Laura Maersk Completes Full Ethanol Bunkering Operation at Rotterdam by Barge

A.P. Moller-Maersk has taken another step forward in its alternative fuel testing programme, with its feeder vessel Laura Maersk completing a 100% ethanol bunkering operation in Rotterdam, delivered by barge at a larger scale than previous trials. According to Ship and Bunker, the operation marks the second time Laura Maersk has bunkered pure ethanol, following a series of earlier tests that progressed from ethanol-methanol blends containing 10% and 50% ethanol, before the vessel first took on 100% ethanol during the first quarter of this year. Maersk described the Rotterdam operation as a deliberate move to stress-test operational readiness across the supply chain. The bunkering involved larger-scale delivery by barge, allowing the company to test operational handling, supply chains and procedures closer to real-world conditions than in earlier, smaller-scale trials. The volume of ethanol delivered was not disclosed. Ethanol is gaining traction as an alternative marine fuel, partly because of its compatibility with existing methanol infrastructure. The two alcohols share similar chemical properties, meaning ethanol can be stored in the same tanks, blended in any ratio, and bunkered using the same infrastructure as methanol, with only minor software and injection valve modifications required on dual-fuel engines. Laura Maersk is a dual-fuel methanol container ship, and this compatibility has allowed Maersk to test ethanol progressively without requiring a separate vessel or entirely new bunkering systems. Sources: Ship and Bunker