Lots of interesting detail. It's useful to know that the fuel sourcing tries to ensure greenness through the whole life-cycle. However, a related issue that has come out in discussion of green hydrogen production is whether big companies buying up a green energy supply might just displace buyers of fuel that would have been produced anyway for other industries. How can a buyer ensure that their actions generate new green methanol production, not just grab part of the production stream from others? If the feeder ship gets its feedstock from biogas, will that biogas just be diverted from other uses like municipal heating, which might then be forced to consume more natural gas? The biogas to methanol synthesis will be new, since the current production of biomethanol is near zero, but will new feedstock come online to replace the stream that container shipping is buying up? I think the regulators, like the EU, will have to come in to ensure that can be measured and monitored. I come from the Philippines, so it is interesting for me that the two marine engineers interviewed are apparently Filipino. I think Filipino seafarers make up 25-30% of the world's seafarers, perhaps more if you include deckside hospitality staff on cruise ships. I understand that Filipino seafarers working in engine rooms has been going up over the years. Perhaps soon the marine training institutions in the Philippines will have to train future marine engineers on green methanol and other new fuels.
Lots of interesting detail. It's useful to know that the fuel sourcing tries to ensure greenness through the whole life-cycle. However, a related issue that has come out in discussion of green hydrogen production is whether big companies buying up a green energy supply might just displace buyers of fuel that would have been produced anyway for other industries. How can a buyer ensure that their actions generate new green methanol production, not just grab part of the production stream from others? If the feeder ship gets its feedstock from biogas, will that biogas just be diverted from other uses like municipal heating, which might then be forced to consume more natural gas? The biogas to methanol synthesis will be new, since the current production of biomethanol is near zero, but will new feedstock come online to replace the stream that container shipping is buying up? I think the regulators, like the EU, will have to come in to ensure that can be measured and monitored.
I come from the Philippines, so it is interesting for me that the two marine engineers interviewed are apparently Filipino. I think Filipino seafarers make up 25-30% of the world's seafarers, perhaps more if you include deckside hospitality staff on cruise ships. I understand that Filipino seafarers working in engine rooms has been going up over the years. Perhaps soon the marine training institutions in the Philippines will have to train future marine engineers on green methanol and other new fuels.
Really nice iniciative! Congratulations.