Study Finds US Ethanol Can Power Global Shipping Fleet

The Maritime Ethanol & Methanol Alliance (MEMA) published a study titled "Marine Ethanol: Unlocking the US Opportunity," concluding that the United States is well-positioned to supply the global maritime biofuel market. The report finds that ethanol can be used in methanol dual-fuel engines and bunkering infrastructure with limited modifications, potentially supporting over 300 methanol-capable vessels currently in service or on order.

With approximately 2 billion gallons of annual spare production capacity, the U.S. could meet 1% of international shipping's annual fuel consumption by mass. Technical analysis from the American Bureau of Shipping indicates that ethanol virtually eliminates sulphur oxide emissions and reduces nitrogen oxides by 40–94% compared to heavy fuel oil.

Commercial deployment began in September when A.P. Moller-Maersk conducted the first publicly announced commercial ship-to-ship bunkering of US corn ethanol for the Tangier Maersk in Houston. The vessel subsequently sailed to New York using the fuel. While the transition from pilots to scale is underway, the study emphasizes that widespread adoption requires standardized fuel specifications and traceable supply chains. The International Maritime Organization is expected to discuss next steps for its Net-Zero Framework on December 4.