TUI Cruises’ Mein Schiff 7 was bunkered with renewable methanol for the first time at the Ostseekai Cruise Terminal in the Port of Kiel.

Approximately 25 cubic meters of methanol from renewable feedstocks were supplied to the 2,894-guest ship, which entered service for TUI in 2024.

It will be used primarily for boiler operations onboard, Hamburg-based MB Energy said in a press release.

The logistic company Johs. Martens handled the trucking and physical delivery of the methanol to the vessel at the terminal on behalf of MB Energy.

The truck used for transport was fueled with HVO 100, a more future-oriented alternative to conventional diesel.

“For TUI Cruises, this project provided valuable operational experience with the supply and handling of certified renewable methanol under real operating conditions,” said Jörg Umann, director strategic planning, treasury, IR and fuel at TUI Cruises.

“While the methanol from renewable feedstocks supplied during this operation is used for boiler operations rather than propulsion, projects like this help us better understand how alternative fuels can contribute to reducing emissions as part of a broader carbon reduction strategy.”

By safely supplying methanol to the vessel with around 2,900 guests on board and multiple simultaneous operations at the pier, MB Energy and TUI Cruises have jointly demonstrated system readiness for this mode of delivery.

“The operation shows that lower carbon fuels like methanol from renewable feedstocks can already be integrated into cruise operations in a safe and reliable way,” noted Jonathan Perkins, CEO of MB Energy. “Together with TUI Cruises and our logistics partner Johs. Martens, we are proving that the infrastructure and expertise are in place to support carbon reduced ways of shipping.”