Tangier Maersk at the Port of Mobile

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Sept. 28, 2026) — POET, the world’s largest bioethanol producer, supplied plant-based bioethanol for the first 100% bioethanol bunkering operation in the United States, marking a significant milestone in the development of bioethanol as a marine fuel.

The successful trial with A.P. Moller - Maersk, one of the world’s largest maritime shipping companies, took place in Houston and demonstrates the potential for American-made bioethanol to become a scalable fuel option for the global maritime industry.

The operation is the first U.S.-based bunkering of a vessel with 100% bioethanol and builds on Maersk’s successful testing of bioethanol in its dual-fuel fleet. Bioethanol can offer shipping companies a low-carbon-intensity fuel option while leveraging an established, globally available fuel and supply infrastructure.

“Seeing American-made bioethanol move from the farm to a container ship in one of the nation’s largest ports is an exciting moment for our industry,” said Jeff Broin, Founder and CEO of POET. “Bioethanol is an abundant, affordable, and clean option for the marine sector. It demonstrates what is possible when partners across the value chain work together to open new markets for American agriculture.”

The successful operation was made possible through collaboration across the maritime and biofuels industries. Maersk provided the vessel and championed bioethanol as a marine fuel. Kirby Corporation supported the marine bunkering operation and transportation of the fuel. Port of Houston provided critical port coordination and infrastructure, while the U.S. Coast Guard supported the regulatory requirements necessary to conduct the first U.S.-based 100% bioethanol bunkering operation.

“Bioethanol has the potential to contribute meaningfully to the future energy mix for shipping,” said Emma Mazhari, Maersk’s Vice President Energy Markets. “[Bioethanol] can offer another scalable, lower-emission fuel option and greater flexibility in how the maritime industry approaches its transition to lower-carbon fuels. This operation with POET is an important step in exploring how bioethanol can be incorporated into marine-fuel supply chains in the United States.”

The Houston operation also highlights the connection between American agriculture and global commerce. As the 11th-largest U.S. container exporter, POET connects the value chain from American farms to international markets — helping feed the world with high-quality feed ingredients that are a coproduct of the bioethanol process.

American-made bioethanol is already produced at a commercial scale, with POET producing more than 3 billion gallons annually across its network of 35 bioprocessing facilities. The fuel is supported by established production, transportation, and distribution infrastructure and is available to markets worldwide.

“Bioethanol has spent decades proving itself as a reliable, scalable fuel in the world's largest transportation market,” Broin said. “Now we have an opportunity to take that same American-made fuel into a global maritime market. As the world looks for practical ways to reduce the carbon intensity and cost of transportation, we should be looking at every technology and every market where bioethanol can deliver value. American agriculture is ready to help power that future.”

The bunkering operation demonstrates that bioethanol can move beyond traditional road-fuel applications and into a new global market, creating additional opportunities for American agriculture and the U.S. bioeconomy.