• 2 min de lectura
• 2 min de lectura
MB Energy has completed a methanol bunkering trial aboard TUI Cruises' Mein Schiff 7 at the Ostseekai Cruise Terminal in the Port of Kiel (Germany), marking an operational milestone in the companies' cooperation on lower-carbon marine fuels.
Approximately 25 cubic metres of methanol produced from renewable feedstocks were delivered to the cruise ship for use primarily in its onboard boiler systems. Johs. Martens, acting on behalf of MB Energy, managed the road transport and physical delivery of the fuel to the vessel. The bunkering operation also incorporated lower-carbon logistics, with the delivery truck powered by HVO 100 instead of conventional diesel.
The trial was conducted while Mein Schiff 7, which can accommodate ~2,900 guests, was undergoing other activities at the pier. The successful delivery demonstrated the operational feasibility of supplying methanol to a large passenger vessel under normal port conditions and provided practical experience for potential future bunkering projects.
MB Energy CEO Jonathan Perkins said the operation demonstrated that methanol produced from renewable feedstocks could already be incorporated into cruise operations safely and reliably. He noted that the cooperation with TUI Cruises and logistics partner Johs. Martens had also demonstrated the availability of the infrastructure and expertise required to support lower-carbon maritime operations.
The Kiel operation covered the complete fuel supply chain, from sourcing and storage to transportation and delivery alongside the vessel. It also represents part of MB Energy's expanding activities in methanol handling for maritime customers in northern Europe.
The company is currently preparing its storage infrastructure at Hamburg-Blumensand for methanol handling, with the aim of supporting larger-volume supplies of lower-carbon ammonia and methanol to maritime customers. Hamburg and Kiel are intended to serve as MB Energy's principal operational hubs in northern Germany, while the company also plans to retain the flexibility to supply customers at other European ports.
Perkins said the combination of company-operated storage facilities and integrated logistics would allow MB Energy to provide a continuous methanol supply, adding that the Mein Schiff 7 trial demonstrated the potential of cooperation between shipowners, ports and energy suppliers in developing alternative marine-fuel operations.
