The Port of Amsterdam Hosts First Ship-to-Ship Methanol Bunkering Operation

The Port of Amsterdam recently achieved a significant milestone by conducting its first ship-to-ship methanol bunkering operation. The operation involved supplying green methanol to Boreas, the new offshore installation vessel from Dutch company Van Oord.

The bunkering operation took place at the TMA Logistics terminal in the Amerikahaven, where the vessel received 500 tonnes of green methanol from the bunker vessel Chicago, operated by Unibarge.

Unibarge, a Dutch-Swiss company, secured a license in February 2025 to deliver methanol bunkering supplies to the Ports of Rotterdam and Amsterdam in the Netherlands, as well as the Port of Antwerp-Bruges in Belgium.

The green methanol supplied to Boreas is ISCC-certified and produced using sustainable feedstocks such as waste and residual streams. The methanol was provided by OCI HyFuels.

Environmental Impact of Boreas

Boreas, considered the largest of its kind, made its debut in the Port of Amsterdam in March. The vessel is the first of its kind to operate on methanol, significantly reducing its ecological footprint.

Equipped with emission control technologies, Boreas minimizes NOx emissions. Additionally, a 6,000 kWh battery pack onboard further reduces fuel consumption and emissions.

Port of Amsterdam’s Clean Shipping Vision

Henri van der Weide, Clean Shipping Advisor at the Port of Amsterdam, expressed satisfaction with Van Oord’s choice of methanol as a fuel, making them pioneers in sustainable shipping.

The Port of Amsterdam aims to become a multi-fuel port through its Clean Shipping Vision, enabling bunkering of alternative fuels such as LNG, hydrogen, ammonia, and methanol. Collaboration with the Clean Marine Fuels Working Group helps establish safety protocols for bunkering operations.

Henri highlighted that LNG bunkering has become routine at the port, with several licensed LNG suppliers and a safety-assured LNG bunker map for safe operations.