Maersk to test e-methanol and ethanol blend

Maersk is testing a new fuel blend on board Laura Maersk, the vessel that in 2023 became the world’s first container vessel to sail on methanol. The ship is testing a mix of e-methanol and ethanol, consisting 90% methanol and 10% ethanol (E10).

Maersk senior fuel transition manager Peter Normark Sorensen explained in a post on LinkedIn, “At Maersk, we know reaching our climate targets requires exploring multiple technological and fuel pathways. That’s why we’re now testing a new fuel blend aboard Laura Mærsk…The goal is to understand how ethanol performs in our dual-fuel engines and whether it can become part of our future fuel mix. We’re testing key parameters like ignition, combustion, lubricity and emissions.”

In a video accompanying his LinkedIn post, he explains the reason for testing E10 is to enlarge the availability pool for alternative fuels. “We’re also looking for any differences between standard and E10 in the way the fuels are burning, ignition quality, corrosion and looking at if the emissions are different between the two.” 

The testing will take place over the next month or two, enabling Maersk to understand how to proceed in the next stage of tests.