LA and Long Beach Ports Name LNG and Methanol Top Fuels

The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach have named liquefied natural gas and methanol as the most viable alternative marine fuels for the near and medium term. A new joint study sets out the likely demand and the infrastructure needed to supply it.

The Clean Marine Fuel Feasibility Assessment was carried out under the ports' Green Shipping Corridor initiatives. It looked at which fuels shipping companies are most likely to adopt, how demand could grow through 2030, and what bunkering would require.

Demand estimates

The study puts annual LNG demand at the San Pedro Bay ports at 65,000 to 115,000 metric tons by 2030. For methanol the range is wider, from 64,000 to 250,000 metric tons, depending on market conditions and how many alternative-fuel vessels are deployed.

About 4,000 vessels call at the two ports each year. Emissions from oceangoing ships are the largest source within the port complex, which makes cleaner fuels central to meeting the Clean Air Action Plan goals. Shipping companies are investing in dual-fuel vessels, though the industry has not settled on one long-term solution.

A phased approach

The assessment does not call for big infrastructure spending now. It recommends a phased approach that uses existing facilities and supports early adoption.

For methanol, much of the storage and distribution infrastructure is already available or could be adapted to marine fuelling, which could lower upfront costs. For LNG, the study recommends mainly relying on existing ship-to-ship bunkering rather than building major new storage in the ports. The ports are encouraged to run pilot bunkering projects, offer incentives for early methanol use and work with regulators on clear safety and permitting rules.

The report acknowledges that the environmental benefit of both fuels depends heavily on how they are produced and sourced. Fuel prices, regulations and commitments from shipping lines will decide how fast demand develops.

Port of Long Beach chief executive Noel Hacegaba said strategic investments guided by the study would enable a growing market for green marine fuels. Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, said it gave a clearer picture of where the market is headed.

The work builds on green shipping corridors. In April, the two ports renewed their agreement with Singapore, which has already run methanol bunkering trials and licensed methanol suppliers. A joint request for proposals, expected by the end of 2026, will seek projects to demonstrate alternative-fuel bunkering in San Pedro Bay.

Source: gCaptain