Mabanaft to rebuild tank terminal in Hamburg to facilitate methanol import and storage

Germany’s energy company Mabanaft plans to convert four of its tanks at the Blumensand tank terminal in the Port of Hamburg over the next two years to enable the storage of methanol and facilitate its import to Northern Germany.

By investing in methanol storage capabilities, Mabanaft wants to support its customers’ transition towards greener alternatives. The company expects demand to grow in the future, both in shipping and other transport sectors, as well as in the chemical industry.

As disclosed, the tanks are planned to be retrofitted from mid-2025 and the methanol storage is scheduled to start in 2027. Mabanaft intends to import the methanol itself and then store and distribute it in Germany and possibly other locations.

The four tanks that would be converted have a total capacity of approximately 20,000 cubic meters, Mabanaft revealed, adding that, subject to the necessary approvals, their conversion is planned to be carried out in two stages: the first two tanks by mid of 2026 and the further tanks in 2027.

To note, this project requires the successful completion of an approval process with the Hamburg Authority of Environment, Climate, Energy and Agriculture (BUKEA).

Joost Vespermann, Business Developer in Mabanaft’s Sustainable Fuels division, commented: “CO2-reduced methanol can be produced in several ways: through e-methanol synthesis using renewable electricity and captured CO2, through biomethanol production from biomass, or through the production of so-called blue methanol from natural gas with carbon capture and storage. All these types of low-carbon methanol can be used in the future, depending on regional legislation and customer preferences.”

Oleksandr Siromakha, Head of Sustainable Fuels at Mabanaft, said: “In the shipping industry, there is no single solution for sustainable fuels. That’s why we are committed to offering our customers a diverse range of options tailored to their needs—both now and in the future. Alongside conventional fuels, we currently offer bio-blends and want to provide more tailored solutions such as hydrogen, ammonia, and methanol. Our goal is to simplify the transition for our customers by making methanol and other alternative fuels more accessible. The challenges of decarbonisation are great. We are here to support our customers every step of the way.”

It is worth mentioning that, in 2024, Mabanaft submitted approval documents for the planned construction of an ammonia import terminal in Hamburg to BUKEA. This terminal is expected to be built on the tank terminal set for reconstruction.