By joining forces, Mabanaft and TUI Cruises want to contribute to making the cruise industry more climate friendly. With the commissioning of Mein Schiff 7 in 2024, TUI Cruises is taking into operation a cruise ship that can also run on methanol, or green methanol in perspective. This initiative creates opportunity for the ship's propulsion system decarbonisation. Over the next few years, TUI Cruises intends to add further dual-fuel methanol-ready cruise ships to its fleet in Germany.
Integrated supply and infrastructure solution planned in the Port of Hamburg
The Mabanaft Group, among others supplier of transportation fuels and operator of tank terminals in Germany, Denmark and Hungary, intends to supplement its range of marine fuels with methanol and other hydrogen derivatives from regenerative sources to help its customers speed up their defossilisation efforts. In order to supply TUI Cruises, among others, with methanol, Mabanaft is also planning the necessary storage and bunkering infrastructure in Hamburg and potentially other ports.
Clean energy for shipping customers
Mabanaft is committed to develop and expand clean energy offerings to its shipping customers, both in Germany and worldwide. “Green methanol is expected to play an immediate role in the decarbonisation of shipping – methanol dual-fuel-engines are readily available and existing fuelling infrastructure can be re-purposed to deliver methanol to our customers”, says Volker Ebeling, Senior Vice President New Energy, Supply & Infrastructure at Mabanaft. “From biofuels, to hydrogen, ammonia and methanol – we want to make all these transition options available to the shipping industry. For us, this agreement with TUI Cruises is an important step towards providing an integrated methanol fuel solution.” Wybcke Meier, CEO of TUI Cruises, says: “Climate-neutral cruises are a question of the appropriate technologies and long-term strategies. We have both. On the one hand, we are continuously equipping our fleets with innovative propulsion systems, on the other hand, we are securing their supply of alternative fuels - through cooperation with partners such as Mabanaft. This is how we will achieve our goals.”
Preparing for methanol needs in cruise ship industry
The MoU marks the beginning of a long-term strategic partnership between Mabanaft and TUI Cruises. As part of the agreement, Mabanaft is set to cover TUI Cruises’ methanol needs in Northern Germany – and potentially in other European ports in the future. The company intends to focus on a gradual transition to synthetic e-methanol.
The Mabanaft Group is a leading independent and integrated energy company providing its customers with innovative energy solutions for their transportation, heating, industrial and agricultural needs. The group is active in import, distribution and marketing of petroleum products, natural gas liquids, chemicals and biofuels, and supports its customers’ transition to cleaner fuels by providing alternative long-term solutions.
TUI Cruises GmbH is one of the leading cruise operators in the German-speaking countries. The joint venture between TUI AG and the US cruise group Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. employs around 650 people in Hamburg and Berlin. A fleet of seven ships sails for the Mein Schiff brand. Since the end of 2020, the Hapag-Lloyd Cruises brand, with a fleet of currently five ships, has also been part of TUI Cruises GmbH. The Mein Schiff fleet offers state-of-the-art holidays at sea in the premium segment (Mein Schiff 1-6 / bed capacity: 15,900). Hapag-Lloyd Cruises can look back on a 130-year history and is the leading cruise brand in the German-speaking countries in the luxury and expedition segment. (MS EUROPA, MS EUROPA 2 & HANSEATIC nature, HANSEATIC inspiration and HANSEATIC spirit). Already today, the fleets of Mein Schiff and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises are among the most modern and eco-friendly in the world. In the course of sustainable growth, three more newbuilds are planned up until 2026.