X-Press Feeders: New dual-fuel boxship completes first green methanol refueling in Singapore

Singapore-based independent common carrier X-Press Feeders, along with the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and PSA Singapore, today welcomed X-Press Feeders’ first dual-fuel vessel, marking a significant milestone towards sustainable shipping.

This vessel, the first to dock and refuel with green methanol in the Port of Singapore, is said to underline the nation’s commitment to supporting the transition to renewable fuels in the global maritime industry.

This technologically advanced vessel, the first of its kind to be built in China, is equipped with a German-designed MAN 5S50ME dual-fuel engine and offers the flexibility to operate on green methanol.

Earlier this month, the 1,260 TEU boxship was delivered by Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Group to X-Press Feeders. The newbuild is the first of fourteen dual-fuel ships the company has on order.

The ship is on its maiden voyage from Shanghai to Rotterdam, with the crucial stop in Singapore where X-Press Feeders and PSA worked together to refuel the vessel while cargo was being loaded and unloaded.

“This milestone represents a significant leap forward for X-Press Feeders and the global maritime industry,” Francis Goh, X-Press Feeders’ Chief Operating Officer, commented.

“We are proud to lead the way in developing and implementing innovative solutions that will drastically reduce the maritime shipping industry’s environmental footprint. By pioneering the use of dual-fuel vessels, we are taking significant steps today to meet the targets for reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.”

The vessel will play a pivotal role in establishing in Q3 2024 X-Press Feeders’ new green feeder routes – the Green Baltic X-PRESS (GBX) and Green Finland X-PRESS (GFX). This will be the first feeder network in Europe powered by green methanol.

The routes will be: Green Baltic X-PRESS (GBX): Rotterdam > Antwerp-Bruges > Klaipeda > Riga > Rotterdam Green Finland X-PRESS (GFX): Rotterdam > Antwerp-Bruges > Helsinki > Tallinn > HaminaKotka > Rotterdam.

X-Press Feeders’ green methanol powered feeder routes will be centered in the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp-Bruges, where the shipping line has a firm contract with Dutch fuel supplier OCI Global to supply its dual-fuel vessels with green methanol.

Also known as bio-methanol, the fuel is a renewable energy source produced from the decomposition of organic matter, such as waste and residues.

In April 2024, the Singapore-based shipper signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with six European ports to accelerate the establishment of green shipping corridors and decarbonize the marine sector in Scandinavia and the Baltic Sea.

The landmark agreement was signed with the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, the Port of Tallinn, the Port of Helsinki, the Port of HaminaKotka, Freeport of Riga and Klaipeda Port.

Under the MoU, the partners plan to develop infrastructure for the provision and bunkering of alternative fuels such as green methanol.