We are committed to maintaining the highest industry standards for safe and sustainable methanol transportation.

Product Safety

Handling methanol safely is a critical element of safe transport. Like many other chemicals and fuels, methanol can be toxic if swallowed, inhaled or absorbed by the skin. It is also flammable. Appropriate safety precautions must be taken when using, handling or working around methanol to keep people and the environment safe.

To read more about the safe handling of methanol, please visit this page. To read more about our product stewardship programs and how we ensure a safe supply chain, please see page 62 of the 2023 Sustainability Report.

Transportation Safety

As the world’s largest producer and supplier of methanol, it is essential that we use our leadership position to promote methanol safety best practices and set high safety standards for our suppliers. Approximately 85% of our product is transported by our subsidiary Waterfront Shipping (WFS). Methanex transports the remainder of our product using railcars, trucks, pipelines or barges.

To read about the assessments we use to evaluate and select responsible carriers of our product, please see page 64 of the 2023 Sustainability Report.

Safety Practices at Waterfront Shipping

To achieve reliable transport and safe operations, WFS works closely with ship owners and ship management companies, which are responsible for the technical operation of WFS vessels. We conduct regular internal and external assessments to determine the safety of WFS vessels and their crews.  We aim to have a WFS marine safety expert spend 1.5 days every year on each of the vessels in the WFS fleet. We also require all vessels to undergo an annual Chemical Distribution Institute Marine Inspection. In 2023, all 30 vessels in the WFS fleet underwent this inspection.

To read more about these assessments and about our safety training programs for crews on WFS vessels, please see pages 65 to 66 of the 2023 Sustainability Report.