Stena Line becomes first to use recycled methanol to power a ferry

Stena Germanica achieved a world first by using ‘blue methanol’ to travel from Sweden to Germany

Stena Line becomes first to use recycled methanol to power a ferry

Stena Line

Stena Germanica was the first ro-pax ferry to operate on methanol fuel after her conversion in 2015

By Alex Smith |


Stena Line’s Stena Germanica has become the first ferry in the world to be powered by methanol recycled from residual steel gases, a byproduct of steel production, on a journey between Gothenburg, Sweden and Kiel, Germany.

The steel industry and the maritime sector account for six to eight per cent and 2.5 per cent of all carbon dioxide emissions respectively. The FReSMe project, funded by H2020 EU program, aims to demonstrate how waste carbon dioxide emissions captured from the steel industry could be used to produce methanol fuel that will be used as fuel in the shipping sector.

"It is exciting to be part of our sustainable journey and try out another new sustainable fuel,” said Peter Holm, chief engineer of Stena Germanica. “I can confirm that we sailed with the new fuel from Gothenburg to Kiel on 22 June and it worked very well.”

Stena Germanica became the first methanol-powered ro-pax ferry when she was converted to a dual-fuel system in 2015. The ferry was developed with partners including Methanex, Wärtsilä and the EU's Motorways of the Seas project.

“This collaboration between the steel and the maritime sectors is the first of its kind and demonstrates that by working together companies from different backgrounds can greatly improve their effect on the climate,” said Erik Lewenhaupt, head of sustainability for Stena Line. “For Stena Line this is another successful proof of concept for our methanol conversion ferry and a further bridge towards our aim of fossil-free shipping.”

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