Platts proposes to launch Methanol Base Rates, Carbon-Inclusive Methanol Base Rates, EUA charges using Methanol bunkers for tanker freight assessments Jan 19

Platts, part of S&P Global Commodity Insights, proposes to launch a full suite of yearly and dynamic Base Rates with carbon-inclusive and EUA charges for 1271 assessed tanker freight routes, effective Jan. 19, 2026, basis methanol bunker fuel.

These Base Rates would serve as standardized estimates of the total cost for a round voyage of a methanol-powered tanker across all assessed freight routes, which include one or more loading and discharge ports. This excludes lump sum routes.

Platts Methanol Base Rates would consider an Aframax-class ship basis 105,000 deadweight tonnage, charter hire at $16,500 per day, and four days' stay at port (two days for loading and two days for discharge). Proposed speed and bunker consumption are as follows:

• Laden and ballast speed: 13 knots.
• Laden consumption: 45.67 mt/day.
• Ballast consumption: 38.36 mt/day.
• Working consumption: 38.75 mt/day.
• Idle consumption: 5 mt/day.

The rates, assessed in $/mt, would expand the current suite of Platts Base Rates based on alternative fuels such as LNG, which was launched on Oct. 16, 2023. Details can be found in the subscriber methodology notes here.

The calculation of the Base Rate has one established assumption, which is to list all the possible costs for the entire voyage and divide them by the deadweight tonnage of the standard ship to arrive at the $/mt Base Rate, which equates to 100 points on the scale.

These rates would include fuel expenses, port costs, agency fees and other well-known miscellaneous costs. EU Allowance charges are included in carbon-inclusive Methanol Base Rates.

The 2026 yearly Methanol Base Rates would be calculated using the average bunker prices for methanol bunker fuel in Singapore and Rotterdam, which are $398.97/mt and $380.34/mt, respectively, for Oct. 1, 2024-Sept. 30, 2025.

The dynamic methanol Base Rates would be calculated using daily prices for LNG bunker fuel in Singapore (symbol - MLBSG00) and Rotterdam (symbol - MLBRT00).

In line with EU Directive 2023/959 of May 10, 2023, the methanol carbon-inclusive Base Rates would fully reflect the costs to offset:

• 100% of CO2 emissions for intra-EU voyages and time spent at European Economic Area berths.
• 50% of CO2 emissions for all inbound and outbound voyages between EU and non-EU member states.
• 0% of CO2 emissions while the vessel is docked in non-EU member state ports.

The methodology follows the phased-in approach outlined by the European Parliament regarding the reporting and payment of emissions, considering 100% of emissions reported in 2026 and payable in 2027.

The yearly methanol carbon-inclusive Base Rates would include an average of spot values of EUAs, from Oct. 1, 2024, to Sept. 30, 2025.

The dynamic methanol carbon-inclusive Base Rates would include the spot value of EUA for the corresponding date (symbol - EADLP00).

Additionally, yearly and dynamic EUA charges basis methanol would be published as stand-alone values to represent the estimated cost of methanol carbon emissions of each assessed route.

Please send all comments or questions by Dec. 3, 2025, to tankers@spglobal.com and pricegroup@spglobal.com.

For written comments, please indicate clearly if they are not intended for publication by Platts for public viewing.

Platts will consider all comments received and will make comments not marked as confidential available to the public upon request.