World-unique methanol bunkering carried out in the Port of Gothenburg
A milestone for the use of methanol as a marine fuel was achieved in the Port of Gothenburg on Monday, as methanol propelled vessel Stena Germanica was the first non-tanker vessel in the world to be bunkered with methanol ship to ship, according to the company's release.
The bunkered ship was Stena Line's ro-ro and passenger vessel Stena Germanica, which until now has been bunkering methanol solely from trucks.
“The Stena Germanica, connecting Gothenburg, Sweden with Kiel, Germany, became the world’s first methanol-powered ferry when Stena Line converted the 240-meter vessel in 2015 in partnership with Methanex, Wärtsilä, the Port of Gothenburg and the Port of Kiel. We welcome ship to ship bunkering as a tool to achieve a stable and efficient supply chain for methanol which is critical in Stena Line’s shift to alternative fuels and to retain our position as a leader in sustainable shipping,” said Maria Tornvall, Head of Sustainability at Stena Line.
The historic bunkering was made possible by a number of different stakeholders collaborating through the whole process. Operating regulations for methanol bunkering is a prerequisite that the Port of Gothenburg was the first in the world to publish in April 2022.
Stena Line is the owner of the vessel in question and the purchaser of the methanol. The tanker operator E&S carried out the bunkering itself in practice, and methanol producer and supplier Methanex provided the fuel.
Methanol as a marine fuel has positive environmental and climate properties and is making strong progress in international shipping.
For example, the world's largest container shipping company Maersk Line has 19 larger methanol propelled container ships on order.
X-Press Feeders is another major player that will start launching eight methanol propelled vessels already this year, and many other shipping companies are placing new methanol vessels in the order books.
