Maersk completes first U.S. bioethanol bunkering for 9,000‑TEU container ship
Maersk completed the first ever U.S. ship‑to‑ship bunkering of a deep‑sea container vessel with 100% bioethanol fuel on September 28, fueling the 9,000‑TEU Tangier Maersk in Houston, Texas. The dual‑fuel vessel, built in China and delivered to Maersk in February 2026, can run on alcohol‑based fuels such as ethanol and methanol.
The bunkering used U.S.-made corn ethanol supplied by POET, the world’s largest bioethanol producer, which operates 35 facilities across nine states and produces about 3 billion gallons per year. According to research from the National Laboratory of the Rockies, substituting bioethanol for petroleum‑based fuel can cut carbon emissions by 46%. The Tangier Maersk’s existing methanol‑capable engines require little or no adjustment to burn ethanol, allowing the ship to switch fuels during the ship‑to‑ship operation alongside Houston’s port quay. The National Laboratory of the Rockies states that methanol‑capable marine engines can operate on ethanol with little or no modification.
“Achieving lower‑emission logistics requires turning new technologies into practical, scalable solutions,” Ditlev Blicher, Maersk regional president for North America said.
“This bunkering operation aboard Tangier Maersk provides valuable real-world experience with alternative fuels in commercial shipping. The insights gained will help drive the development of more sustainable supply chains,” Ditlev Blicher, Maersk regional president for North America said.
The Tangier Maersk is part of Maersk’s fleet of dual‑fuel container ships designed to operate on methanol and ethanol, reflecting the carrier’s broader strategy to test alternative fuels ahead of wider adoption.
What we know
Ocean carrier Maersk has successfully completed the first ever U.S. ship-to-ship bunkering of a deep-sea container vessel with 100% bioethanol fuel.
According to a September 28 release, the bunkering of the dual-fuel Tangier Maersk took place in Houston, Texas, with the ship receiving U.S.-made corn ethanol.
The 9,000 twenty-foot equivalent unit ship was built in China and delivered to Maersk in February 2026, and is capable of running off of alcohol-based fuels such as ethanol and methanol.
Based out of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the company says that it produces 3 billion gallons of bioethanol annually, by fermenting corn with yeast at 35 processing facilities spread across nine states.
Research from the National Laboratory of the Rockies estimates that bioethanol can cut carbon emissions by 46% compared to petroleum-based fuels, and says existing methanol-capable marine engines can run on ethanol with little or no modification.