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Alternative Fuels

DNV paper outlines bunkering infrastructure of alternative fuels for boxships

Paper titled ‘Alternative Fuels for Containerships’ examines use of LNG and methanol in the container sector including bunkering tech and infrastructure for LNG and methanol.

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Classification society DNV on Thursday (29 September) released a new paper that gathers DNV’s experience in the use of alternative fuels on containerships including outlining bunkering technology for liquified natural gas (LNG) and bunkering infrastructure for methanol.

The paper titled Alternative Fuels for Containerships is the second edition of the paper which now considers methanol. In the first edition, DNV focused on the technical and commercial implications of LNG as a ship fuel in the sector.

In the paper, it was highlighted that the biggest lever for shipping to reduce emissions is to shift to low and zero-carbon fuels.

“With many new options emerging, however, the future fuel and technology picture for the industry is complex and becoming even more so. Picking the wrong fuel today could result in a significant competitive disadvantage tomorrow, due to customer preferences and tightening regulations,” said DNV.

“In the container sector, this is complicated due to greater fuel consumption by the vessels, relative to other ship types, and their long trading distances.”

The report added the vast majority of the fleet today runs on Heavy Fuel Oil / Low Sulphur Fuel Oil (HFO/LSFO) but significant recent newbuilding orders have been made with alternative fuels. These are LNG to a large extent, but methanol has also come into focus. Newbuildings running on methanol have already been realised or are under discussion.

“LNG is a proven and available fuel solution, with an ever-increasing number of infrastructure projects planned along the main shipping lanes, but methanol is picking up. For both options, we look at the regulations, engine and tank technology, bunkering infrastructure and operations, the commercial implications for newbuildings and retrofits,” according to the report.

“We examine the cases for LNG and methanol as bridging fuels away from HFO/LSFO and towards lower and zero-carbon options.”

“With this report and the series to follow, we will examine the most relevant new fuel options for the container sector. We hope to offer an overview of the most relevant factors to consider when shifting to alternative fuels, to help guide your decisions and turn uncertainty into confidence.”

The report highlighted that the LNG bunker fleet is also increasing to serve such ships all around the world in response to the growing fleet of vessels using LNG as fuel.

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Picture49Figure 35 gives an overview of bunker vessels with different tank capacities, and the number of vessels operating in different areas

“Asia and Europe are the main areas of operation. The fleet of LNG bunker vessels is growing rapidly, and these vessels cover most major shipping hubs today. Further developments are expected in the next few years, quickly bridging the gap between supply and demand. Approximately half of the LNG bunker vessels have a capacity of 5,000–10,000 m3, while the rest are smaller,” the paper added.

However the paper said although methanol is well positioned to reliably supply the global marine industry, dedicated bunkering infrastructure for ships is currently limited.

“The location of bunker stations must be carefully considered, with several factors in mind, to ensure safe and efficient transfer of fuel from the bunker source,” it said.

Note: The full paper titled Alternative Fuels for Containerships can be found here

 

Photo credit: DNV
Published: 30 September, 2022

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LNG Bunkering

Shell expands LNG bunkering footprint in Spain with Valencia

As one of the region’s key maritime hubs, the company said Valencia expands the options available to shipowners seeking LNG supply along major shipping routes.

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Shell expands LNG bunkering footprint in Spain with Valencia

British oil giant Shell on Thursday (13 August) said Valencia has joined its growing network of bunkering locations, making LNG available as a marine fuel.

The successful completion of the first LNG bunkering operation in Valencia marked an important milestone for Spain and further strengthened Shell’s LNG supply capabilities across the Mediterranean. 

In a video shared by the company, bunkering vessel Alice Consulich was shown supplying an undisclosed volume of LNG to the container ship MSC Sabrina.

“As one of the region’s key maritime hubs, Valencia expands the options available to shipowners seeking LNG supply along major shipping routes,” Shell said in a social media post. 

Shell said the achievement reflected the strong collaboration across the maritime value chain, including MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, the Port of Valencia and Fratelli Cosulich Group.

“We look forward to making more LNG bunker deliveries in Valencia and across the Mediterranean as LNG infrastructure and capabilities continue to expand,” the company said. 

 

Photo credit: Shell
Published: 14 August, 2026

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LNG Bunkering

Énestas and Power LNG join forces on Galveston bunkering

Énestas will provide capital, LNG transport and storage equipment, and downstream expertise to support Power LNG’s planned liquefaction and marine bunkering facility on Pelican Island.

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Stabilis Solutions enter 10-year LNG bunkering supply deal for Port of Galveston

Power LNG (Power LNG) and Mexico’s LNG infrastructure and downstream natural gas company Énestas on Wednesday (12 August) announced the execution of definitive agreements establishing a strategic partnership to accelerate the development of LNG infrastructure at the Port of Galveston.

Under the agreement, Énestas will provide capital, LNG transportation and storage equipment, and downstream operating expertise to support the development of the Harborside Terminal and Project Seawolf, Power LNG’s planned LNG liquefaction and marine bunkering facility on Pelican Island.

The partnership creates an immediate pathway to begin LNG distribution by truck while Project Seawolf is under development, supporting marine fueling, virtual pipeline customers, industrial users, and LNG exports throughout the Gulf Coast, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

“Our vision has always been to establish Galveston as the premier LNG hub for the Gulf Coast,” said Austin Terry, Founder and CEO of Power LNG. 

“Énestas brings years of operational experience, proven LNG infrastructure, and a talented team that understands how to deliver LNG safely and efficiently. Together, we can immediately begin serving customers while laying the foundation for one of the most strategic LNG bunkering facilities in North America.”

Project Seawolf will provide LNG for marine bunkering, truck loading, virtual pipeline distribution, and international exports. The facility is strategically located at the Port of Galveston, serving one of the fastest-growing cruise, cargo, and energy corridors in the United States.

For Énestas, the transaction represented an important milestone in the company’s international growth strategy.

“This partnership represents a natural evolution for Énestas as we expand our downstream LNG business into the United States,” said Caio Zapata, Chief Executive Officer of Énestas. 

“For more than a decade, Énestas has developed and operated LNG infrastructure throughout Mexico, helping customers transition to cleaner, more reliable energy. Partnering with Power LNG allows us to leverage that experience in one of the most attractive LNG markets in North America. We see tremendous opportunities in marine bunkering, virtual pipeline logistics, industrial LNG supply, and exports to Latin America and the Caribbean, and we are excited to build that future together.”

The companies expect the partnership to support near-term LNG truck loading operations while advancing the long-term development of Project Seawolf, which is designed to become a regional hub for LNG production, marine fueling, and distribution.

The collaboration also establishes a platform to pursue additional downstream LNG opportunities throughout the Gulf Coast, utilising Énestas’ operational expertise together with Power LNG’s project development capabilities.

 

Photo credit: Port of Galveston
Published: 14 August, 2026

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LNG Bunkering

Stabilis delivers more than 150,000 cbm of LNG bunker fuel at Galveston

Company says the advancement of its proposed Stabilis Galveston LNG Facility is a natural progression of its established LNG bunkering footprint in Galveston.

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Stabilis delivers more than 150,000 cbm of LNG bunker fuel at Galveston

Clean energy production solutions provider Stabilis Solutions (Stabilis) on Thursday (13 August) said it has completed 97 LNG bunkering operations and delivered more than 150,000 m³ of LNG to customers in the Port of Galveston.

“As the only physical supplier of LNG on the Gulf Coast to reach this milestone, we’ve earned a reputation as a trusted, proven operator — both with local Galveston stakeholders and with the world’s largest cruise operator,” the company said in a social media post.

“That trust is reflected in the 10-year LNG offtake agreement we executed in December 2025.”

The company said the advancement of its proposed Stabilis Galveston LNG Facility is a natural progression of its established LNG bunkering footprint in Galveston. 

“As a Houston-based company, we believe in the Texas economy and the future growth of the Port of Galveston,” it added.

“That belief is why we’ve invested heavily over the past four years in the planning, permitting, and engineering design work to develop the most advanced, derisked, shovel-ready small-scale LNG liquefaction project on the Gulf Coast.”

Manifold Times previously reported Stabilis stating that the proposed Stabilis Galveston LNG Facility is anticipated to be in production by the third quarter of 2028.

It will come complete with the delivery of the first new-build, dedicated Jones Act-compliant LNG bunker barge in the Galveston/Houston area.

This comes following Stabilis receiving a Letter of Recommendation from the US Coast Guard following their formal review of the proposed Stabilis Galveston LNG Facility and associated waterfront LNG loading, marine transportation, and LNG bunkering operations in the Port of Galveston.

Related: Stabilis Solutions targets Q3 2028 launch for Galveston LNG bunkering facility
Related: Stabilis Solutions terminates 10-year LNG supply deal, expects delay in Galveston project

 

Photo credit: Stabilis Solutions
Published: 14 August, 2026

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