Hafnia toasts arrival of second dual-fuel methanol MR tanker

Singapore-based tanker owner Hafnia and its France-based joint-venture partner Socatra have rolled out the red carpet for the second unit in a series of four dual-fuel methanol medium range (MR) chemical tankers.

As disclosed, the future-fit Ecomar Guyenne, which will sail under the French flag like its sister-vessels, was handed over to its owner on May 15, 2025. The ship is part of an order placed at China’s Guangzhou Shipbuilding International (GSI) back in August 2023.

Engineered to operate on both conventional fuel and methanol, the 49,800 dwt tanker is expected to transport cargo in an efficient and environmentally friendly manner.

To be specific, as per the China Association of the National Shipbuilding Industry (CANSI), the newbuilding features an array of energy-efficiency solutions such as a shaft generator, a pre-swirl duct and a twisted rudder.

CANSI has revealed that Ecomar Guyenne was pre-fitted to be able to boost a wind-assisted propulsion system, too. Furthermore, the state-owned entity spotlighted that sea trials have verified that the vessel slashes carbon emissions by 46%, with its Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) far exceeding the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Phase III requirement.

As informed, the vessel and the remainder of the chemical tanker quartet—slated to be delivered across this and next year—will be chartered by French energy giant TotalEnergies under a contract entailing several years of service.

The delivery of the 183-meter-long and 32-meter-wide Ecomar Guyenne comes on the heels of the announcement that Hafnia and Socatra had welcomed the inaugural newbuilding of the series, Ecomar Gascogne.

To remind, this unit was handed over in the last stretch of January 2025, marking a ‘big’ step for the companies’ efforts to decarbonize their supply chains.

In order to improve fuel efficiency and minimize the ecological impact of its methanol dual-fuel fleet, Hafania has explored multiple pathways. One of the solutions that the Singapore-headquartered maritime industry player has set its sights on is wind-assisted propulsion systems (WAPS).

Shipping has seen a rapid adoption of WAPS in the past few years, with market data suggesting that, as of January 2025, there were at least 80 newbuildings in the wind ship orderbook, with 54 seagoing vessels using wind power already in service.

Given this massive momentum, Hafnia said in December 2024 that it would explore WAPS for its methanol-fueled fleet, believing this to be an important path toward further ‘enhancing’ the tankers’ environmental performance.

In mid-May 2025, Hafnia and GSI partnered up with UK-headquartered wind-assisted propulsion provider Anemoi Marine Technologies and Norwegian classification society DNV to develop the integration design of rotor sails that could be installed on 50,000 dwt MR tankers.

As divulged, the partners are set to conduct several engineering studies to establish specifications related to how rotor sails can be efficiently fitted on the deck of these ships.

In addition to this, calculations regarding how the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) and Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Index (EEXI) values of existing and future MR tankers can be improved by the rotor sails are also planned to be done.