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WINGD ANNOUNCES INITIAL ORDERS FOR MARINE ETHANOL-POWERED ENGINES FOR VALE BULKERS
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Ethanol, while a prevalent and readily accessible fuel, was largely neglected in conversations regarding alternative fuels for maritime use. Last month, mining behemoth Vale revealed its intention to build two significant bulk carriers equipped with ethanol-fueled engines and wind rotors, and now engine producer WinGD has confirmed that it will provide these initial specially modified engines for ethanol.
WinGD observes that ethanol is currently receiving interest as a marine fuel because of its broad and competitively priced availability in various markets. These markets encompass Brazil, where Vale will manage vessels. Vale emphasized in its research that it considers the use of ethanol capable of decreasing greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 90 percent relative to heavy fuel, positioning it as a viable option for alternative fuels.
Although there are worries about supply competition within the food chain, ethanol is simpler to manage than ammonia, which is both toxic and extremely corrosive. It shares comparable characteristics with methanol but is easier to obtain and needs less infrastructure investment. Maersk announced last December that it was looking into ethanol on its innovative methanol-powered feeder vessel, Laura Maersk. Everllence indicated in September 2025 that it had effectively tested ethanol on its large two-stroke engines at the factory.