A new report from RMI and the Global Maritime Forum looks at how ports can become early providers of green methanol and ammonia for the shipping industry. The maritime sector accounts for about 3% of global emissions, and the IMO wants at least 5% of fuel to be zero-emission by 2030. The report maps where green hydrogen derived fuels could be produced and shipped, with methanol likely concentrated in major bunkering hubs and European ports while ammonia could travel longer distances from low cost sites in the US, South America, Australia, and Sub-Saharan Africa. The study identifies four port archetypes with different opportunities for bunkering infrastructure. It draws on examples from Singapore, Algeciras, Corpus Christi, Seattle and Tacoma, and Rotterdam. The authors argue that policy will determine which countries end up as leaders in the hydrogen economy. For anyone tracking green fuel procurement, grid connected electrolysis projects, or maritime emissions rules, this report lays out the supply chain logic and the decisions ports face now.
