Port of Gothenburg set to launch methanol bunkering services by end of 2023

Inter Terminals Sweden (ITS), part of Inter Terminals, one of the largest independent bulk liquid storage providers in northern Europe, is collaborating with the Port of Gothenburg to introduce methanol bunkering services in the port by the end of 2023.

ITS revealed that preparations are ongoing to rebuild some of the tanks and the related infrastructure to enable the bunkering of methanol in the port. Meanwhile, the Port of Gothenburg has worked intensively to develop a regulatory framework for methanol bunkering as part of its strategy to become Northern Europe’s primary hub for bunkering and storage of methanol.

By 2030, the Port of Gothenburg has set out an ambitious target to reduce shipping emissions by 70% within the port area.

One key step to reach this goal is to provide a variety of shipping fuels that contribute to bringing down emissions – in the port as well as on a global scale.

According to ITS, one of the challenges in this adaptation is to manage the gases from methanol when loading, which will be addressed through a Vapor Recovery Unit (VRU). A VRU is a prerequisite for reducing environmental impact and for creating a healthy working environment for the port workers. As informed, work is in progress to define a suitable placement of the planned VRU.

“We are very pleased that there are plans in the nearby future for storage of methanol at the Energy Port in Gothenburg for continued bunkering of vessels in the Gothenburg area. We want to continue to be an attractive bunker hub, and this creates good conditions for an even better marine fuel when eMethanol or bio-methanol is available,” Lena Lilienberg, Head of Business Area Energy at the Port of Gothenburg, said.
       
“We are experiencing a strong demand from several parties to get going already this year, either for their customers or for their own use. With the successive introduction of renewable methanol, we plan to be able to provide those services too, as soon as this fuel is available on the market,” Johan Zettergren, Managing Director of ITS, pointed out.

In January this year, the methanol-powered ferry Stena Germanica became the first non-tanker to complete ship-to-ship (STS) methanol bunkering at the Port of Gothenburg.

Canada-headquartered methanol supplier Methanex Corporation provided the methanol, while tanker operator E&S carried out the bunkering with its vessel Stolt Sandpiper. The aim was to advance methanol as a cleaner burning marine fuel to support the shipping industry’s shift towards decarbonization. 

The bunkered ship was Stena Line’s ro-ro and passenger vessel Stena Germanica, which until now has been bunkering methanol solely from trucks.