Proman Stena Bulk’s first methanol-fuelled tanker christened

Shipping joint venture Proman Stena Bulk has held a christening ceremony for the first methanol-powered, low-emission tanker Stena Pro Patria.

As informed, the christening ceremony took place on 23 November in Trinidad and Tobago. The vessel is the first of six 49,900 DWT methanol-powered dual-fuel medium-range tankers being built by Guangzhou Shipyard International Co Ltd (GSI) in China.

“This naming ceremony for Stena Pro Patria in Trinidad and Tobago is another important milestone for Proman Stena Bulk,” Erik Hånell, President and CEO of Stena Bulk, said.

“Every step our joint venture takes proves the viability of methanol as a marine fuel and underlines that it is technically feasible, with the right knowledge and backing, to be used in-operation today. We are honoured to lead methanol’s development and scaling within the industry and to be working closely with Proman on our shared vision for methanol.”
 
“Finally, we must also recognise the role that Trinidad and Tobago has played in making this naming ceremony a reality. As an important methanol shipping hub, there was no better place to hold this important event for Stena Pro Patria and our joint venture.”

“We share a commitment to accelerating the clean shipping transition, via our methanol-fuelled newbuilds and other initiatives, so it was particularly valuable to tour our methanol production facilities and reaffirm the low-carbon pathway for the maritime market,” David Cassidy, Chief Executive of Proman, added.

The tanker was launched in autumn 2021 and delivered this June.

The vessel will run on methanol, representing Proman Stena Bulk’s commitment to methanol’s role as part of the shipping industry’s sustainable fuels pathway.

With an expected consumption of 12,500 tonnes of methanol marine fuel per annum, Stena Pro Patria will be a low-emission vessel, eliminating local pollutants including SOx and Particulate Matter (PM), cutting NOx emissions by 60% and reducing CO2 emissions versus conventional marine fuels.

Meanwhile, the second vessel in the series, Stena Pro Marine, was delivered in July 2022. Like its sister ship, the vessel belongs to IMOIIMeMAX dual-fuel mid-range (MR) tankers. It is expected to consume 12,500 tonnes of methanol per annum.

The growing momentum behind methanol-powered vessels across the shipping industry in recent weeks 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.