Can Egypt captain the maritime decarbonization ship? Egypt’s recent strides in green methanol production are positioning the country to be a key player in the global maritime industry’s decarbonization efforts, with the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZone) a major focal point of the sector’s decarbonization push due to its substantial investments in green fuel infrastructure. In this week’s Going Green, we take stock of existing initiatives and make the case for Egypt at the center of a decarbonized global maritime industry.

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The global maritime industry is pushing for decarbonization: The International Maritime Organization has set ambitious targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions over the next quarter of a century, aiming for a 20% cut by 2030 and full decarbonization by 2050, according to Norwegian certification body DNV’s latest maritime forecast (pdf). While these targets may seem a stretch — particularly given that 93% of the global fleet still operates on traditional fossil fuels — the push is in line with global market pressures as cargo owners, financial institutions, and insurers all demand greener shipping options.

Alternative fuels are key to the transition: The industry is aiming to move toward low-carbon fuels like LNG, methanol, and ammonia to power the existing and future fleet. According to the DNV, the demand for carbon-neutral fuels is expected to reach between 7.7 mn to 52.9 mn tons of oil-equivalent by 2030.

There are some snags, though: The absence of large-scale availability of green fuels like green methanol and ammonia remains a key obstacle to maritime decarbonization in the short term. While the infrastructure for producing, storing, and transporting these fuels is currently under development, the shipping industry will also need to build new vessels that can accommodate a variety of fuel technologies or convert existing ships to accommodate new fuel types. And, once greater quantities of green fuel are available, the maritime industry will need to compete with other industries — such as the aviation, road transport, and industrial sectors — for existing supplies.

Within this global scenario, Maersk’s investment highlights Egypt’s potential: Egypt’s partnership with Maersk’s green methanol company C2X is a game-changer for the maritime industry’s fuel transition. The USD 3 bn investment will initially produce 300k tons of green methanol annually in the SCZone, with plans to scale up to 1 mn tons — representing a significant proportion of the between 4 and 6.7 tons of green methanol expected to be on supply in 2030. This positions Egypt as a key supplier of alternative fuels to the global shipping industry.

Why green methanol? Because a number of ships are already capable of running on methanol in addition to conventional fuels, carbon-neutral methanol is a particularly attractive green fuel for the maritime industry. While methanol-capable vessels represent only around 1% of existing global tonnage at present, they constitute nearly 10% of the shipping tonnage currently on order — making methanol-capable tonnage the second most-demanded type of tonnage on order after LNG-capable tonnage. While orders for ammonia-powered ships are also on the rise, they constitute only 0.7% of gross tonnage on order — meaning that green methanol is likely to be the primary low-carbon fuel source for the maritime industry going forward.

Scaling up production to meet global demand: Maersk’s global target of producing 3 mn tons of green methanol annually by 2030 is central to the maritime sector’s decarbonization efforts. Egypt’s role in this supply chain is critical, ensuring a steady supply of the carbon-neutral fuel needed to replace fossil fuels. In tandem with Maersk’s green methanol project in Spain and similar projects in Egypt and elsewhere, the global supply chain for green methanol is expanding — helping the industry meet its 2030 and 2050 decarbonization targets.

Green bunkering is part of this broader picture: The SCZone has said that it wants to roll out green methanol bunkering services before 2027, after receiving requests to supply ships with green methanol and gas. Recent agreements reflect that the SCZone is well on its way to making this a reality. Last year, the zone inked a USD 1.1 bn green methanol MoU with Scatec to provide ships bunkering at the East Port Said Port with up to 100k tons of green methanol by 2027. The SCZone also last year handed out a six-month renewable license to OCI subsidiary OCI Hyfuels, giving it the greenlight to roll out green methanol bunkering services at the East and West Port Said ports. More recently, the SCZone in April inked an MoU with the Port of Rotterdam to develop a green bunkering corridor that will link Singapore to Rotterdam through the Suez Canal, creating the first corridor for green bunkering between Asia, Africa, and Europe.

Rising costs are a challenge, but early investment pays off: The economic costs of decarbonization are significant, with estimates suggesting a rise in freight costs of 69% to 112% per ton-mile. Yet, investing in energy-saving technologies and adopting alternative fuels early on could lead to long-term savings. Technologies that reduce fuel consumption not only ensure regulatory compliance but also help shipowners maintain profitability as fuel costs rise.

Egypt’s advantage in green energy infrastructure: Egypt’s collaboration with Maersk is supported by the government’s ambitious goals of adding 28 GW of renewable energy to the country’s energy mix over the next five to seven years, ensuring the availability of renewable energy for green methanol production. As more countries and companies ramp up their investments in green fuels, Egypt’s established infrastructure gives it a competitive edge in the global green energy transition.

The country’s future in global maritime decarbonization looks promising: With substantial investment in green methanol and ongoing projects that align with global shipping decarbonization goals, Egypt is well-placed to become a leader in green fuel production. By supporting the maritime sector’s shift toward carbon-neutral alternatives, Egypt is not only contributing to global sustainability but also securing its position as a vital player in the future of shipping.

Your top green economy stories for the week:

  • The House approved a USD 15 mn USAID grant to help us fight climate change, with a specific focus on conserving coral reefs in the Red Sea and reducing pollution.
  • AMEA Power will launch its USD 800 mn Ras Ghareb wind farm in March 2025 with an initial 250 MW capacity, before cranking up to its full capacity of 500 MW by the end of July.
  • Germany’s PtX Development Fund granted Scatec EUR 30 mn to support its Egypt Green Hydrogen plant, developed with Fertiglobe, Orascom Construction, the Sovereign Fund of Egypt, and the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company.
  • We’re getting EUR 7 mn from the EU: Planning Minister Rania Al Mashat and EU Ambassador Christian Berger signed a EUR 7 mn technical support package to support Egypt’s green transition.
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