The Brazilian mining company Vale is set to charter two ethanol-ready vessels from MOL Ocean Bulk, a subsidiary of the Japanese company Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, under a 25-year agreement aimed at increasing sustainable transport capacity.
Vessel Specifications
These two vessels are ore carriers with a capacity of 210,000 DWT and can use ethanol, methanol, and conventional fuels. Additionally, the design of these vessels allows for the possibility of converting them to LNG or ammonia fuels in the future, although no specific details have been provided regarding their readiness for this conversion.
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Delivery Timeline and Usage
The vessels are expected to be delivered in 2030 and will primarily be used for transporting iron ore from Brazil to China and other global markets. Earlier this year, Vale also signed a separate agreement to charter two ethanol-ready vessels with China's Shandong Shipping, which will come into effect in 2029.
Marine engine manufacturers such as Everllence and Winterthur Gas & Diesel (WinGD) are developing multi-fuel engines capable of operating on ethanol, methanol, and conventional fuels. These two types of alcohol fuels share common technical characteristics that allow for the design of engines that can use both fuels. Both fuels exist in liquid form at ambient temperatures, although the differences in energy content and combustion characteristics mean that methanol-compatible engines must be specifically tuned to operate on ethanol.
Several other shipping companies are also exploring ethanol as an alternative fuel for methanol-ready vessels. For example, AP Moller-Maersk loaded 100% ethanol on three of its dual-fuel container ships last year. Additionally, the Singapore-based container line X-Press Feeders tested a blend of 90% biomethanol and 10% ethanol (E10) on one of its methanol-ready container ships in Rotterdam. The French shipping company CMA CGM also loaded its CMA CGM Iron vessel with 500,000 liters (about 395 tons) of bioethanol at the port of Santos, Brazil.
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