Proman Stena Bulk Ltd, a UK-headed joint venture (JV) between Proman Shipping AG, part of Switzerland-headed Proman Group, a leading global methanol producer, and Stena Bulk AB, one of the world’s largest tanker shipping companies and part of Sweden-headed Stena Sphere, has announced that their two fully operational methanol-fuelled tankers have become one of the first vessels to bunker methanol in Ulsan, South Korea.
The two methanol-powered vessels, Stena Pro Patria and Stena Pro Marine were refueled with over 2 000 tonnes of methanol each during the bunkering operation, which Proman Stena Bulk says comes as proof of the growing viability of methanol as a marine fuel (MMF).
The combination of low emission methanol and fuel-efficient vessels are important steps towards more sustainable shipping, so we’re proud that Stena Pro Patria and Stena Pro Marine have successfully bunkered methanol for the first time, said Erik Hånell, President and CEO of Stena Bulk.
Strategically significant methanol bunkering
The bunkering was executed despite South Korea not being a methanol-producing country, and neither vessel was carrying methanol as cargo.
The fuel’s availability in Ulsan comes as a clear indicator of the growing and already widespread availability of MMF for owners and operators that are interested in combating shipping emissions.
This successful bunkering in Ulsan, combined with the fact that both Stena Pro Patria and Stena Pro Marine have commenced their first commercial methanol-fuelled voyages carrying various products for third-party charterers around the globe, is another important and positive milestone for the JV and for our broader work in helping to develop methanol as a marine fuel, said Anita Gajadhar, MD of Proman Shipping, Marketing, and Logistics.
As these vessels show, methanol is already available and viable as an alternative fuel solution for shipping. Incorporating methanol bunkering into future fuel infrastructure regulations and policies that are currently being developed will help ensure guidelines are futureproofed as more low-carbon and renewable methanol sources come online, supporting the transition to lower emissions fuels across the industry, Anita Gajadhar said.
A viable marine fuel
The status of methanol as a viable marine fuel, both now and into the future, is being further strengthened by the relative ease with which it can, as a non-cryogenic liquid, utilize existing bunkering infrastructure and storage in line with International Maritime Organization (IMO) regulations, considerably lowering the barrier to entry for interested owners and operators.
The Stena Sphere has extensive experience in bunkering methanol for passenger ferries and in transporting methanol as cargo, and this bunkering of methanol in Ulsan is further proof that infrastructure and availability are not a barrier to turning our vision of methanol as a key decarbonization solution into reality, said Erik Hånell.
Global uptake of Marine Methanol Fuel
The first bunkering in South Korea is even more strategically significant given the nation’s status as an important maritime hub.
Ulsan is located adjacent to one of the world’s largest shipyards and South Korea neighbours two other leading global shipbuilding nations, China and Japan.
Successfully bunkering MMF in Ulsan is a positive sign for many of the other methanol newbuild vessels currently on order within the region.
The increasing global uptake of methanol as a marine fuel is aided by its current availability across 120 ports worldwide, including the major global bunkering hubs of Singapore, Algeciras (Spain), Houston (US), and Rotterdam (the Netherlands).
Meanwhile, other key locations such as the Port of Gothenburg (Sweden), and the Port of Rotterdam (the Netherlands) are adopting or developing new simple methanol bunkering guidelines.
In 2020, Lloyd’s Register (LR) and the Methanol Institute (MI) launched a Technical Reference document to help shipowners, ports, and bunker suppliers understand the processes and procedures for the safe use of methanol as a marine fuel.
