OCI Global completes its first green methanol refueling operation in MENA: Dutch-based chemical producer OCI Global completed a six-hour operation refueling the world’s first green-methanol-powered container ship with 500 tons of the green fuel in Egypt’s East Port Said, according to a statement released on Friday. The refueling operation by OCI Global took place under a partnership with shipping and logistics giant AP Moller-Maersk.

More about the vessel: The container ship — capable of hauling 2.1k TEU shipping containers — began its maiden voyage in South Korea and passed through the Suez Canal on its way to its final destination in Copenhagen. It was fueled by OCI Global under a partnership announced in June with shipping and logistics giant AP Moller-Maersk.

What this means: It represents a “unique opportunity for the Suez Canal to position itself as a Green Marine Bunkering Hub to proactively attract more Green Marine Traffic to the area and be ahead of nearby ports such as Fujairah, Jeddah and Morocco,” OCI Global said last May. The vessel’s passage through Port Said should also help kickstart demand for green hydrogen offtake and consolidate the country’s position as a green hydrogen hub.

OCI and Maersk have big green fuel targets for Egypt: Back in November, OCI and Adnoc joint venture Fertiglobe began commissioning of their 100 MW green hydrogen plant in Egypt’s Ain Sokhna, which will generate feedstock for green ammonia production once operational in 2024. Maersk said it would cooperate with Egypt on a USD 15 bn project to produce clean fuel for ships back in September.

And other players are interested: Egyptian petrochemicals firm Alexandria National Refining & Petrochemicals signed a cooperation agreement with Norwegian renewables developer Scatec to jointly establish the country’s first green methanol production facility at a cost of around USD 450 mn last May. The Damietta Port plant will have an initial yearly production capacity of 40k tons of the green fuel, and the two companies will provide 40 MW of solar energy and 120 MW of wind power respectively to power the project

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