Equinor has signed a two-year agreement to supply to shipping and vehicle logistics company Wallenius Wilhelmsen, supporting the use of low-carbon fuels in the maritime sector.
Under the deal, Wallenius Wilhelmsen will use the bio-methanol as bunker fuel for its upcoming dual-fuel methanol vessels. The bio-methanol will be supplied at the ports of Zeebrugge and Antwerp, with deliveries expected to begin in late 2026.
Wallenius Wilhelmsen operates ro-ro vessels that transport vehicles and machinery between production sites and global markets.
Equinor said interest in bio-methanol as a marine fuel is increasing as shipping containers look for options to reduce emissions.
“We continue to see increasing interest in bio-methanol as a practical, scalable solution for decarbonization of shipping,” said Alex Grant, senior vice president of crude, products and liquids at Equinor.
“This partnership with Wallenius Wilhelmsen marks a substantial step forward in bringing Equinor’s bio-based methanol to the growing marine segment for low-carbon fuels. Equinor has previously signed supply agreements for bio-methanol with Maesrk and NCL, and we are progressing several leads for both bio and conventional methanol supply agreements.”
The companies said the use of bio-methanol is expected to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from vessels using the fuel, supporting efforts to decarbonize maritime transportation.
Xavier Leroi, chief operating officer of shipping services at Wallenius Wilhemsen, said the agreement supports the company’s strategy to lower emissions from its operations.
“Signing this deal with Equinor marks an important milestone for us at Wallenius Wilhelmsen,” said Leroi. “Securing low-carbon bio-methanol supports the decarbonization of our ocean operations, while strengthening our ability to deliver lower emission end-to-end logistics for customers. Partnerships like this are essential to scaling alternative fuels and moving from ambition to execution.”
Equinor’s supply will combine methanol produced at its Tjeldbergodden facility in Norway with biogas certificates generated from captured biogas from manure and other biomass, in line with the EU Renewable Energy Directive.
The methanol is produced from biomethane in the gas grid using a mass-balance approach, which allows bio-methanol to be produced using existing infrastructure and facilities. According to the company, the method also enables the capture of methane emissions that would otherwise be released from manure-based feedstocks.
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