Using green methanol to power shipping could cut carbon dioxide emissions in the sector by as much as 96%, according to a study by the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) commissioned by environmental organization Greenpeace.
"Green methanol can point the way for shipping to a climate-friendly future," Greenpeace spokesperson Clara Thompson told dpa ahead of a meeting of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in London on Monday.
The IMO, a U.N. agency of 176 countries, aims to discuss measures for implementing its greenhouse gas strategy to make shipping carbon-neutral by 2050.
The DLR's maritime energy unit study found methanol easily manageable, by contrast with hydrogen or ammonia, and technically ready for use. It can be produced using renewable energy, and marine engines can easily be converted to burn it.
Shipping is thought to generate around 3% of all greenhouse gases, as well as large amounts of the oxides of sulphur and nitrogen. These pollutants would be almost absent with the use of methanol.
The study notes, however, that producing methanol is still expensive, "in particular the operation and acquisition of electrolysers." The fuel also needs tanks that are twice as large as the current fossil fuel tanks.
Little green methanol is currently available on the market. For comparison, German shipping would need up to 5.73 million metric tons per year, against 2.94 million tons of diesel.
Thompson said the IMO needed to implement binding targets to speed up conversion to alternative fuels. Greenpeace backed a carbon dioxide price that reflected the benefits of methanol over fossil fuels for the climate, she said.
