Fratelli Cosulich christens new methanol and biofuel bunker barge

Italian maritime transportation group Fratelli Cosulich has christened its newbuild chemical bunker barge Marta Cosulich equipped to carry methanol and biofuels up to B100.

The vessel was built by the Chinese yard Zhejiang Shenzhou Sunshine Heavy Industry and delivered on May 9, 2024.

The christening ceremony took place in the Bay of Singapore. This event marks a significant milestone in commitment to investing in a modern and efficient fleet, according to Fratelli Cosulich.

“Marta Cosulich, with its 8.7000 m3, reflects our proactive approach to sustainable shipping. As the first ship in our fleet ready to carry methanol, it shows we are ready to serve the industry with fuels of the future. We are dedicated to leading the way in environmental responsibility, not only with methanol but also through our commitment to LNG and other emerging technologies aimed at reducing the environmental impact of our operations,” the company stated.

Fratelli Cosulich is committed to strengthening its presence in the Port of Singapore. The firm noted that investments in new assets, designed to carry alternative fuels, align with Singapore’s ambition to be a maritime decarbonization leader.

At the beginning of this year, Fratelli Cosulich took delivery of its second liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering vessel Paolina Cosulich from Nantong CIMC SOE shipyard in China.

Christened and launched on June 26, 2023, the bunker barge is fitted with Wärtsilä’s dual-fuel technology while its propulsion and maneuvering system are of the azimuth type, with a double bow thruster. It can carry 8,200 cubic meters of LNG.

Paolina Cosulich’s sister vessel and Fratelli Cosulich’s inaugural LNG bunker barge, Alice Cosulich, was delivered and set sail from Qidong, China, towards Europe in October 2023. This vessel has been chartered to Titan Clean Fuels for a multi-year period.

At the end of last year, the company ordered its first methanol dual-fuel chemical bunker tanker with a capacity of over 8,000 cubic meters and the ability to carry both green methanol and biofuels.

The vessel 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.