A US laboratory study released last week has found that the existing fleet of methanol-capable ships could, if operated primarily on ethanol, use nearly 2 billion gallons of ethanol a year, a development that sources indicated on 6 October 2026.
The reports item summarised the study’s headline finding and noted the potential consequence for ethanol producers, saying the fuel could become a significant new outlet for demand as the shipping sector looks for lower-carbon alternatives.
According to the report, the calculation is driven by the 112 to 120 methanol dual-fuel vessels currently operating, a fleet the laboratory study modelled on the assumption those ships were run principally on ethanol rather than conventional marine fuels.
If the fleet were operated in that manner the study concluded the annual ethanol requirement would approach the nearly 2 billion gallon figure cited, a scale the Hellenic report presented as noteworthy for both fuel suppliers and ship operators.
Scale and assumptions
The study’s headline number rests on an operational scenario in which methanol-capable vessels are used largely with ethanol as the primary fuel; the Hellenic summary framed the estimate as conditional on that mode of operation rather than as an expectation of immediate industry practice.
Readers should note the figure does not assert that the fleet will switch to ethanol, only that the existing set of dual-fuel ships could consume that volume under the specified operating assumption, a point the Hellenic item emphasised.
Market implications
reports highlighted the demand-side implication: for ethanol producers the study offers a prospective market of considerable size, while the shipping industry gains another potential pathway as it pursues lower-carbon options.
The report therefore presents the estimate as a signalling study that could prompt further commercial and technical assessment by fuel suppliers, shipowners and other stakeholders, according to the Hellenic summarised account.
Key facts from The report:
- Publication: reports.
- Item date: 6 October 2026.
- Source of finding: US laboratory study released last week.
- Fleet modelled: 112 to 120 methanol dual-fuel vessels.
- Estimated ethanol use: nearly 2 billion gallons per year if operated primarily on ethanol.
The Hellenic summary presented the study’s finding without naming the laboratory in its headline paragraph, and it framed the result as a potential new outlet for ethanol producers rather than as an immediate market shift.
Taken together the items in the Hellenic report outline a scenario in which existing vessel capability and fuel alternatives intersect to create measurable demand, a matter that market participants and policymakers may examine further in light of broader decarbonisation aims.
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