Proman Stena Bulk officially names third methanol-fueled tanker

Proman Stena Bulk officially names third methanol-fueled tanker - Offshore Energy

Proman Stena Bulk officially names third methanol-fueled tanker

Proman Stena Bulk, the joint venture (JV) between tanker company Stena Bulk and methanol producer Proman, has formally named the third methanol-fueled tanker.

The naming ceremony for the 49,900 DWT tanker Stena Promise was held in the port of Rotterdam on October 24, 2023.

“The naming ceremony was held in Rotterdam in recognition of the port’s unique contribution to the maritime decarbonisation agenda. The Port is the largest methanol hub in north-western Europe, and ship-to-ship bunkering has taken place at the port successfully several times, including for the first JV vessel Stena Pro Patria in August 2022,” the JV said.

Stena Promise was built by Guangzhou Shipyard International and delivered to Proman Stena Bulk in November 2022. The vessel was christened in Rotterdam on April 25, 2023.

During its commercial operations, Stena Promise has already been operating full time on conventional methanol from natural gas. The vessel will use approximately 11,500 tons of methanol as fuel per year, significantly reducing GHG emissions compared to conventional marine fuels.

David Cassidy, Chief Executive of Proman, said: “Stena Promise is the third state-of-the-art 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. We need to ensure that regulatory incentives and market-based measures continue to drive capital to projects which can deliver real, meaningful and immediate emissions reductions. And to do that we need to work with partners across the entire industry and shipping value chain to make green shipping a reality.”

Erik Hånell, President and CEO of Stena Bulk, added: “The naming ceremony for Stena Promise is another step in our cooperation between Stena Bulk and Proman to prove the viability of methanol as a marine fuel. By gathering in Rotterdam – one of the industry’s most important bunkering hubs – we are once again underlining that methanol operation is technically feasible today. We are proud to continue working with our partners at Proman to advance our shared vision for methanol.”

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

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 Organization’s (IMO) compliance criteria.

According to data from class society DNV, there are over 106 methanol-fueled ships on order as of the end of March, including container lines, dry bulk and tanker orders, as well as leading names from the cruise sector.

Just recently, ProMarine AG, an investment advisor for the financing of the maritime energy transition, launched what has been described as the’ industry-first sustainable shipping fund’ with an initial portfolio of four methanol-fueled MR tankers led by Proman and Stena Bulk AB.