First barge-to-ship methanol bunkering

This bunkering operation with Waterfront Shipping’s Takaroa Sun—a long-term chartered vessel owned by NYK Bulkship, took place at the Port of Rotterdam’s Vopak Terminal Botlek with the TankMatch-operated bunker barge MTS Evidence.

Allard Castelein, CEO of the Port of Rotterdam Authority, said: “Methanol has proven itself able to meet our very stringent safety standards and can play an important role in meeting the lower emission goals.”

Building up methanol use

Waterfront Shipping said it has been operating methanol-fuelled ships for over five years. Paul Hexter, president of Waterfront Shipping, added: “When appropriate safety measures are followed, we know that methanol is safe to ship, store, handle and bunker using procedures similar to conventional fuels.”

The bunkering demonstration provided further evidence of methanol as a low emission, safe and simple to handle clean fuel that offers a pathway to a low-carbon future.

Liquid at ambient temperature and miscible in water, methanol produces up to 15% lower carbon emissions during combustion than traditional fuel oil and is MARPOL Annex VI compliant for SOx emissions, particulate matter and Tier III NOx emissions.

Methanex Corporation subsidiary Waterfront Shipping recently ordered eight methanol-fuelled vessels to be delivered between 2021 and 2023. With this latest order, approximately 60% of its 30-ship fleet will be powered by lower emission, methanol dual-fuel technology.