Biomethanol bunkering service launches at Port of Immingham

The largest port by cargo volume, the Port of Immingham serves as a critical gateway for energy and bulk materials, making it a particularly important hub for maritime operations and low carbon fuel supply.

The initiative reflects the organisations’ commitment to advancing decarbonisation in maritime transport. UK domestic shipping accounts for 4.7% of transport-related CO2 emissions.

Exolum will provide the storage and fuelling infrastructure at its Immingham facility, Methanex will supply the bio-methanol for the project and Ørsted will be the first to use the service for its North Sea offshore wind farm maintenance vessels.

It demonstrates how existing energy infrastructure can be adapted to support new sustainable fuels and support the maritime sector’s transition to low carbon operations.

Steven Clapperton, Head of Marine (Humber), Associated British Ports, owner of Port of Immingham, said: “This initiative marks a significant milestone for the Port of Immingham and the wider maritime sector.

“By enabling biomethanol bunkering, we are taking practical steps toward decarbonising one of the hardest-to-abate industries.”

Logistics UK’s Policy Manager Katie Adams said: “Launching a commercially ready biomethanol bunkering service at the Port of Immingham is an important step in demonstrating how the UK can begin to decarbonise maritime operations in practice.

“Ports are critical hubs in the energy and logistics system, and initiatives like this demonstrate how existing infrastructure can be adapted to support lower-carbon fuels. For domestic shipping, which still accounts for a notable share of transport emissions, developing the supply chains for alternative fuels such as biomethanol will be essential if the sector is to transition while maintaining the efficient movement of goods the economy depends on.”