Maersk has begun testing a new ethanol-methanol fuel blend, called E10, on its methanol dual-fuel feeder ship Laura Maersk in the Baltic region. The trial aims to explore ways to increase methanol fuel availability for the company’s dual-fuel fleet.
The E10 blend consists of 10 percent ethanol mixed with 90 percent methanol. Laura Maersk, a 2,100 TEU feeder vessel that has operated on pure methanol for three years without issues, provides a controlled platform to test how the ethanol addition affects performance. The test will run for one to one and a half months to collect operating data.
Maersk will examine several performance aspects, including ignition quality, combustion behavior, fuel corrosion, and lubricity. The company will also monitor emissions, particularly NOx levels, to determine whether the ethanol blend alters environmental performance compared with pure methanol.
The company plans to analyze the E10 data carefully to determine the feasibility of expanding the ethanol-methanol blend to larger ships as part of its broader decarbonization strategy.
