Ørsted first to use Immingham biomethanol bunkering service

The facility is being developed by Exolum, Methanex Corp and Ørsted, and will be the first facility in the UK to provide a biomethanol storage and supply service for vessels using the Port of Immingham. 

The initiative will provide marine bunkering services for biomethanol, one of the leading green fuels for decarbonising shipping.

Exolum will provide the storage and fuelling infrastructure at its Immingham facility, leveraging its extensive experience and strategic assets. Methanex will supply the biomethanol for the project.

Ørsted will be the first to utilise the service, using biomethanol to power windfarm maintenance vessels operating in the North Sea. 

Ørsted lead category manager Mika Tortsen Bärlund said the project “aligns with our commitment not only to create opportunities for local suppliers but also to help develop leading-edge technologies, in particular technology which helps us in our goal of delivering more sustainable operations.” Mr Bärlund said the project will also help with the broader decarbonisation of the maritime sector, and play a role in the company’s vision of creating a world that runs entirely on green energy.

Exolum northwest Europe chief executive Stephen Land described the project as “groundbreaking” for Exolum. He said it demonstrates how the transport and storage of products such as biomethanol “can help transform one of the most difficult sectors of today’s economy to decarbonise.”

The ISCC-certified biomethanol supplied to Ørsted will be produced at Methanex’s facilities on the Gulf Coast in the US, using feedstocks derived from waste and residues, such as organic municipal solid waste. Compared with conventional marine fuels, it delivers up to an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.