Construction of Fratelli Cosulich’s methanol-ready bunker tankers in full swing

July 10, 2025, by Ajsa Habibic

Construction of Lucia Cosulich, the second methanol-ready IMO II bunker tanker for Italy’s maritime transportation group Fratelli Cosulich, has begun at Taizhou Maple Leaf Shipyard in China.

The beginning of construction of the 7,999 dwt vessel was marked by a steel cutting ceremony on July 9, Fratelli Cosulich revealed.

Lucia Cosulich is the second in a series of four IMO II chemical bunker tankers ordered by the Italian company in 2024.

Much like its sister ships, Lucia Cosulich will be methanol-ready with the capacity to carry, burn, and bunker methanol.

The vessel will feature an integrated nitrogen generator system for safe and inert tank operations as well as safety systems specifically engineered for low-flashpoint fuel handling.

Its methanol bunkering setup will include the quick connect/disconnect couplings (QCDC), dedicated transfer lines, and comprehensive monitoring and control systems to ensure efficient and secure fuel handling.

The first unit from this series, Anna Cosulich, entered the construction phase at Taizhou Maple Leaf Shipyard in April this year and is scheduled for delivery in the first quarter of 2026.

Fratelli Cosulich has another methanol dual-fuel IMO II bunker tanker under construction at the same shipyard.

Taizhou Maple Leaf Shipyard started building the 8,000-cubic-meter Maya Cosulich in July 2024. The vessel will be fitted with three MAN GenSets designed to run on methanol. The four-stroke engines will be part of a diesel-electric propulsion system, while an onboard battery storage system will optimize fuel consumption and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Maya Cosulich is scheduled for delivery in the last quarter of 2025 and will be located at the Port of Singapore under a fixed-rate time charter contract with global commodities trader Trafigura.