Methanol selected to power two hydrographic research vessels

Two new hydrographic research vessels will be built with full sets of methanol supply systems according to an agreement between a fuel supply firm and a shipbuilder.

Finnish tech company Auramarine will supply the systems to Spanish shipbuilder Astilleros Gondán for the Wega and Deneb vessels that will be deployed by Bundesamt für Seeschifffahrt und Hydrographie (BSH), the federal agency responsible for maritime safety and nautical cartography in Germany.

Designed with Seaplace Engineering, each vessel is around 70 metres long with a 15-metre beam. They will work in the North and Baltic Seas.

“Methanol has established its place in the marine fuel portfolio, and a growing number of vessel types are now being designed to run on it,” said John Bergman, CEO, Auramarine. “Wega and Deneb are good examples of this. We are pleased to be part of this demanding project, where our systems will operate in a challenging marine research environment.”

The methanol will be ‘green’, which means it will have to be produced from renewable sources, adding considerable cost to the fuel.

Methanol facts

Almost all of the world’s methanol – 65% – is made from natural gas and 34.8% from coal, according to a 2021 report by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Coal-based production is concentrated in China.

The 0.2% of methanol made from renewable sources such as biomass is likely to have risen since then, but the proportion is still small.

‘Green’ e-methanol production costs are estimated at $800–1,600 per tonne, compared with conventional marine diesel at approximately $1,100–1,200 per tonne, but the price for the end user will be much higher.

Methanol contains about 19.9 GJ per tonne, compared with around 42.7 GJ for diesel, which means it needs roughly twice the tank capacity for equivalent energy, according to the UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency.

“The construction of Wega and Deneb is a particularly exciting challenge, bringing together innovative design, advanced technology and ambitious sustainability goals,” said Gondan Factory Director Iván Artime. “We are proud to be part of a project that will contribute to the future of environmentally responsible maritime research.”