OCI has partnered with Unibarge to develop Europe’s first dual-fueled methanol-propelled bunker-capable barge, which will be in service in the Port of Rotterdam.
The deployment of the retrofitted barge is a significant milestone towards the sustainable transformation of the shipping industry, as it will be able to run on renewable and low-carbon methanol fuel, as well as conventional biofuels.
Among its features, the barge will enable OCI to offer a full end-to-end bunker solution with the ability to transport and deliver its OCI HyFuels green methanol to oceangoing vessels.
This will reduce GHG emissions during bunker delivery, allowing shipping companies using low-carbon fuels to include the “‘last mile” of the vessels’ journey in their footprint calculations.
By consuming green methanol, the barge has the potential to reduce the amount of particulate matter emitted in inland waterways by 90%, improving air quality and offering a better environment for local marine life.
The barge is expected to be deployed into inland waterways from the Port of Rotterdam in the second half of 2024.
The retrofit project will be managed by Unibarge, who have selected the technology and equipment partners. OCI will take the barge on a long-term time charter and employ it in its regular trade, as well as use it to offer a full end-to-end bunker solution to larger vessels.
This is an important milestone for Europe’s shipping industry and an exciting step towards OCI’s vision of a cleaner future
Bashir Lebada, CEO of OCI Methanol, said.
