Waterfront Shipping wraps up STS methanol bunkering in Trinidad and Tobago

Waterfront Shipping, a subsidiary of Methanex Corporation, has completed its first ship-to-ship (STS) methanol bunkering demonstration in the Caribbean at the Port of Point Lisas in Trinidad and Tobago.

As informed, this milestone was achieved in collaboration with the National Energy Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago, Paria Fuel Trading Company, NYK, Green Marine, Bunker Holding, Uni-Tankers and Dan Bunkering.

According to Methanex Corporation, the demonstration further proves methanol is a safe and simple-to-handle cleaner fuel that provides a future-proof pathway to a low-carbon future.

The bunkering also positioned Trinidad and Tobago as a key player in decarbonizing the maritime sector and established Point Lisas as a preferred destination for future methanol refueling operations.

“This demonstration in Trinidad and Tobago is another step in supporting the shipping industry’s transition to lower-emission fuels,” said Paul Hexter, President of Waterfront Shipping.

“By successfully conducting the first methanol ship-to-ship bunkering demonstration in the region, we have proven that our world-class maritime infrastructure is fully capable of supporting the energy transition,” added Vernon Paltoo, President of the National Energy Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago.

As a cleaner-burning marine fuel, conventional methanol already presents a pathway to decarbonization, with further innovations in bio-methanol offering vital solutions for the industry to achieve climate neutrality. It meets the IMO’s pollutant emissions regulations, reducing SOx by 99 percent, NOx by up to 80 percent, and particulate matter by 95 percent compared to heavy fuel oil, Methanex said.

Methanol is available at over 125 of the world’s largest ports, and its use as a marine fuel can help the shipping industry meet increasingly strict air emissions regulations.

In 2023, Cajun Sun, operated by Methanex’s Waterfront Shipping and chartered from MOL, completed the first-ever net-zero voyage fuelled by bio-methanol. MOL took delivery of the Cajun Sun, a 50,000 dwt methanol carrier, from its compatriot shipbuilder Minaminippon Shipbuilding in 2016. The vessel is equipped with 2-stroke dual-fuel low-rev main engine capable of running on methanol.

The purpose of the voyage was to showcase that the pathway to net-zero emissions and the decarbonization of the shipping industry is possible today with methanol as a marine fuel.

Methanex produces its bio-methanol blended fuel from conventional and negative-carbon intensity bio-methanol at its ISCC-certified facility in Geismar, Louisiana, and is poised to meet industry demand for this sustainable fuel today.