Shifting container ships to using green methanol as a bunker fuel may add more than $1,000/FEU to some container freight rates, according to new research, Ship & Bunker reported.
Drewry Shipping Consultants has conducted research looking into the cost of alternative fuels, concluding that a switch to synthetic green methanol would add about $1,047 to the cost of transporting a 40ft container from Asia to Europe in 2026, compared with transporting the same box today using VLSFO.
The 2026 costs include the upcoming regulatory cost of shipping entering Europe's emissions trading system, Philip Damas, the consultancy's managing director, said. The cost increases compared with a 2023 VLSFO-fuelled shipment are as follows, according to the post:
2026 VLSFO: +35%
Grey methanol 2026: +86%
Grey methanol with green gas certificates 2026: +267%
Green e-methanol 2026: +343%
