China’s first methanol bunkering vessel “Hai Gang Zhi Yuan” has started operation after an equipment retrofit, according to the Methanol Institute.
The 16000m³ ship, formerly known as Jiuli 668, arrived at Zhoushan Putuo Changhong Shipbuilding Co Ltd, a subsidiary of Zhoushan ChangHong International Shipyard Co Ltd, on 22 September 2023 for the retrofit. The process took 113 days and the ship was equipped with an advanced methanol fuel system.
The bunkering vessel is owned by Shanghai SIPG Energy Services Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of SIPG Group. The ship has a total length of 139.98 metres, a molded depth of 11.2 metres, and a molded width of 20.2 metres.
The ship is not only capable of transporting methanol but also capable of ship-to-ship bunkering operations while loading and unloading containers, saving turnaround time of international liners at ports.
According to DNV’s database, methanol proved the most popular alternative fuel choice in 2023 with 138 ships ordered (excluding methanol carriers), a steep increase compared to the 35 ordered to run on this fuel the year before.
