S6 Ep15: Alexander Döll, CEO, Methanol Institute

In this episode, we meet the new CEO of the Methanol Institute to hear his gameplan for the development of methanol as a marine fuel.Alexander Döll explains why he is confident that renewable methanol production will be able to meet shipping’s demand. With 240 projects for blue, bio- or e-methanol currently under development, he expects ‘real volumes’ to be available by 2027 or 2028.He discusses the role of China as a first mover, representing 88% of renewable methanol production today, and outlines how he anticipates production and bunkering infrastructure to scale up in more shipping hubs in the short, medium and long term.He also reacts to the latest figures in the global orderbook for alternative-fuelled ships, which showed LNG overtaking methanol from mid-2024, arguing that methanol isn’t losing momentum as a marine fuel option.He reports ‘genuinely encouraging’ results from the practical experience of bunkering, crew training and using methanol as fuel on ships since the entry into service of Ane Maersk in early 2024. He also addresses reports from Maersk of maintenance problems with their methanol dual-fuel engines, which he says were ‘completely expected’ at this stage, and reveals that a solution has been found by the engine manufacturer.Reflecting on the energy transition more broadly, he emphasises that a multi-fuel approach will be needed, and explains why he believes that shipping should stop thinking of the transition as a race or a competition between fuels.