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Ulsan port recently handled the world’s first ship-to-ship (STS) green methanol supply to a very large container ship
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The 16,000-TEU Ane Maersk received the green methanol from bunkership Golden Sunny Hana owned by Hana Marine at the Ulsan Port anchorage
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The MOF earlier established the foundation for the initiative, including the ‘Guidelines for Approval of Self-Safety Management Plan for Methanol Supply’
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The MOF and UPA said they will continue to upgrade related systems, such as establishing standard operating procedures for the supply of methanol
Ulsan port recently handled the world’s first ship-to-ship (STS) green methanol supply to a very large container ship, South Korea’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) and the Ulsan Port Authority (UPA) announced.
The 16,000-twenty equivalent unit Ane Maersk received the green methanol from bunkership Golden Sunny Hana owned by Hana Marine at the Ulsan Port anchorage, according to a statement by UPA.
MOF established the foundation for the feat, including crafting the ‘Guidelines for Approval of Self-Safety Management Plan for Methanol Supply’, and accumulating know-how through two methanol supply demonstrations with UPA in July and November last year.
The ability to handle ships supplying green methanol will not only enable Korean ports to further consolidate their position in the world as a sustainable marine fueling location, but will promote the growth of Korea’s sustainable marine fueling industry amid intensified competition among global ports for the methanol fuel market, UPA said.
The MOF and the UPA said they will continue to upgrade related systems, such as establishing standard operating procedures for the supply of methanol, and to work with the private sector to secure the economics of sustainable marine fuel supply.
“Competition among international ports to preempt the market by building ports that supply sustainable marine fuel is accelerating,” said MOF Minister Kang Do-Hyung. “Under the goal of achieving net-zero by 2050 in the global shipping sector, we will make all-out efforts to strengthen competitiveness so that Korea can lead the global trend of switching to sustainable fuels.”
UPA president Kim Jae-gyun commented: “Following the success of the world’s first green methanol PTS bunkering for container ships in July last year, Ulsan Port has succeeded in green methanol STS bunkering for a very large container ship.”
He added: “We will do our best to proactively respond to the paradigm shift in ship fuel so that Ulsan Port can be reborn as a hub port for sustainable marine fuel supply.”
The shift to more earth-friendly green methanol from conventional bunker fuel for the world’s largest ships has been a slow, steady process but made necessary by environmental concerns, UPA said.
“Ane Mærsk” is the first of Maersk’s 18 large methanol-enabled vessels, that will be delivered between 2024 and 2025. It is the world’s second methanol-enabled container vessel.
