The WinGD X-DF-M/E alcohol-fuel engine has completed its first in-service operation on ethanol. The 9000-TEU container ship Tangier Maersk bunkered the fuel in Houston before sailing to New York.
The vessel took on the bunker at the Port of Houston in late September. The world’s largest bioethanol producer POET supplied the fuel for the WinGD X82DF-M engine powering the vessel. It marked the first marine bunkering of a 100 per cent bioethanol blend in the US, and the first ever in-service bunkering of ethanol to a WinGD engine.
The bunkering operation was the result of collaboration between several partners, with Maersk providing the vessel, Kirby Corporation providing fuel transportation and bunkering, and the Port of Houston overseeing port coordination. The US Coast Guard also supported the project by verifying that regulatory requirements to conduct the bunkering operation had been met.
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Multi-alcohol fuel capability
As well as highlighting the increasing availability of bioethanol to marine markets – POET alone produces 3 billion gallons a year across 35 sites – the sailing marks a milestone in the operational record of WinGD’s alcohol fuel engine platform. The first X-DF-M/E engine capable of using methanol entered service in 2025, with multi-alcohol fuel capability added this year – enabling both methanol and ethanol fuel to be used on six mid-sized sister vessels ordered by Maersk.
The chemical similarities between methanol and ethanol mean that both can be used in WinGD’s X-DF-M/E engines, with injection optimised for either fuel or for similar performance with both fuels. This flexibility means that operators can switch between the two fuels in the same engine depending on greenhouse gas emissions reduction requirements, cost and availability – delivering a more cost-effective transition towards net-zero emissions from international shipping.
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Emerging route to maritime decarbonisation
WinGD Vice President Research & Development Sebastian Hensel: ‘The use of bioethanol as a marine fuel is a natural progression for WinGD after successful operating experience with methanol using the same engine platform. This debut, a result of the strong momentum of Maersk in validating the use of this cost-effective low-carbon fuel, enabled us to confirm important operational and safety functions. This landmark will give added confidence to ship operators considering bioethanol as an emerging route to maritime decarbonisation.’
‘Bioethanol is a scalable, lower-emission fuel option that can offer greater flexibility in how the maritime industry approaches its transition to lower-carbon fuels,’ states Emma Mazhari, Maersk’s VP Energy Markets. ‘This operation is an important step in exploring how bioethanol can be incorporated into marine fuel supply chains.’
Picture: Tangier Maersk at the Port of Mobile (photo Alabama Port Authority).
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