Methanol-fuelled Stena Promise christened

Proman Stena Bulk, a joint venture (JV) between methanol producer Proman and Stena Bulk, has held a christening ceremony for the third dual-fuel MR tanker powered by methanol, Stena Promise.

As informed, the ceremony took place in Rotterdam on 25 April. The 49,900 dwt vessel was built by Chinese shipbuilder Guangzhou Shipyard International Co. It was delivered to the company in November last year.

Guangzhou Shipyard International was hired by Proman Stena Bulk in 2019 to build two dual-fuel chemical tankers powered by methanol.

The shipbuilding company is the first Chinese shipyard to build methanol dual-fuel vessels. The ordering tally at GSI has since increased to six vessels.

As indicated by Stena Bulk, compared with regular marine fuel, methanol offers a more than 95% reduction in sulphur oxide (SOx) and particulate matter, and a 60% reduction in nitrogen oxides (NOx). Furthermore, it is already available at over 100 ports worldwide, including at all major bunkering hubs.

“Stena Promise is the third … methanol tanker we have brought to market with Stena Bulk, and the first fully Proman-owned vessel in our fleet. She is a very special vessel for us, and it is fantastic to be able to use her naming ceremony as a driver to convene with partners, friends and industry leaders in Rotterdam at a pivotal time for the shipping industry’s low-carbon transition,” David Cassidy, Chief Executive of Proman, said.

The first methanol-powered tanker Stena Pro Patria joined the company’s fleet in June last year, while the second vessel Stena Pro Marine was delivered in July 2022. The fourth ship in this series, Stena Prosperous, was delivered last December.

The ships feature energy efficiency technology, including continually controlled combustion, optimised tuning, redesigned and aerodynamic hull lines, and an energy shaft generator, reducing fuel consumption and helping to meet and go beyond the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) compliance criteria.

The growing momentum behind methanol-powered vessels across the shipping industry in recent months highlights methanol’s key advantage as a globally available cleaner marine fuel: its proven net-zero pathway allows shipowners to invest in vessels that are already futureproofed.

As well as enabling immediate greenhouse gas emissions reductions, CO2 emissions can be steadily reduced by blending increasing quantities of low-carbon and renewable methanol in the coming years, without any changes to engines or wider infrastructure.

To remind, Proman Stena Bulk has recently completed the first-ever barge-to-ship methanol bunkering on the US Gulf Coast.  

Stena Pro Marine and Stena Prosperous were refuelled with methanol via barge while discharging clean petroleum products at a terminal in the Port of Houston.