Proman Stena Bulk, the joint venture between tanker company Stena Bulk and methanol producer Proman, has taken delivery of a further methanol-fuelled tanker, the 49,900 dwt ‘Stena Prosperous’ from Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI) and will now enter commercial operation running fully on methanol.
The joint venture now has four vessels actively trading and bunkering fully on the low-emission future fuel. The fourth ship joins the Proman Stena Bulk-owned Stena Pro Patria and Stena Pro Marine, and the Proman-owned Stena Promise, which were all delivered in 2022. The joint venture fleet has already loaded methanol fuel in Ulsan, Trinidad and Rotterdam in the past year, with other major bunkering hubs to follow in 2023.
The fourth vessel entering into service is said to underline Proman Stena Bulk’s commitment to unlocking a more sustainable maritime sector in the immediate term by driving the uptake of methanol as a marine fuel.
Stena Prosperous, like the other methanol-fuelled joint venture vessels, has an unprecedently low EEDI value while running on methanol. The IMOIIMeMax vessel series benefits from design improvements and technologies to maximise energy efficiency and minimise fuel consumption, resulting in an EEDI 11% below the 2025 Phase 3 requirements.
Moreover, the vessels’ future-proofed engine designs make the ships ready to achieve every incoming emissions reduction target, as greater quantities of very low-carbon blue and renewable methanol become available for blending and bunkering in the near future.
Stena Prosperous will use about 12,500 t/yr of methanol fuel. Conventional methanol from natural gas, which is widely available, virtually eliminates SOx and particulate matter, cuts NOx by 60%, and reduces CO2 emissions from the vessel’s operations by up to 15% on a tank-to-wake basis, compared to conventional marine fuels.
Erik Hånell, President and CEO Stena Bulk, said: “It’s fantastic to be able to end 2022 with a fourth methanol tanker joining our joint venture fleet. These vessels are truly pioneering and meet the highest standards of safety, sustainability and efficiency, laying down a marker for what is already possible today through progressive partnerships like ours with Proman.”
Anita Gajadhar, MD Marketing and Logistics, Proman, added: “We are immensely proud of what our joint venture with Stena Bulk has been able to achieve over the last year. We now have four vessels in operation running on methanol as a marine fuel, which proves that methanol isn’t a future fuel – it’s a today fuel. Its highly scalable and commercially viable decarbonisation pathway means it is one of best solutions for shipowners to meet sustainability commitments and every incoming emissions target that the maritime industry will face.”
Stena Prosperous’s delivery comes as interest in methanol as a marine fuel reaches new heights. In October 2022, methanol ships were the leading category of newbuild ships on order, and MAN Energy Solutions estimates that around 25% of its order pipeline is for methanol engines across a range of vessel classes.
