Renewable Gas Used as Green Fuel Alternative for Vessels
Ocean carrier CMA CGM and low-carbon power firm Engie have teamed up on a project to produce biomethane, a renewable natural gas used as an environmentally friendly fuel alternative for vessels.
The two companies are planning to build a plant at Le Havre in northwest France to make 11,000 tonnes per year of the gas from wood-waste feedstock using a process called pyrogasification.
Start-up of the so-called Salamander project is slated for 2026, with a final investment decision on the US$150 million project due at the end of the year.
The announcement follows a strategic agreement signed by the two operators in late 2021 to produce up to 200,000 tonnes per year of renewable gas by 2028 to supply CMA CGM and other shipping lines.
“To reach our target of net-zero carbon by 2050, the CMA CGM Group is seeking to form solid industrial partnerships, led by this initiative with Engie that aims to produce up to 200,000 tonnes of renewable gas annually by 2028,” said Christine Cabau Woehrel, CMA CGM’s executive vice president of assets and operations.
“Salamander is the first industrial ramp-up to emerge from the partnership, an advanced pilot helping to develop the renewable gas sector, in keeping with the goals of energy independence and the energy transition set forth by the European Commission in the RepowerEU plan”.
CMA CGM already operates a fleet of LNG-powered ships that can run on biomethane or synthetic methane, or e-methane, which is produced from decarbonized hydrogen and captured carbon dioxide.
The carrier is expected to more than double its fleet of dual-fuel, e-methane ready vessels to 77 by the end of 2026. The shipping line’s total fleet numbers some 580 vessels.
CMA CGM will be exhibiting at Breakbulk Americas 2022, taking place on 27-29 September at the George R. Brown Convention Centre in Houston, Texas. To find out more about registering, click on the link below.
