Waterfront Shipping Company Ltd. (WFS), Marinvest/Skagerack Invest (Marinvest), Westfal-Larsen Management (WL), and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) have attended the traditional ship naming ceremonies and take delivery of the first Korean and Japanese built methanol-fueled ocean tankers, the Lindanger, Mari Jone and Taranaki Sun.
Hyundai Mipo Dockyard hosted the Korean ship naming ceremony, while Minaminippon Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. hosted the Japanese ceremony, where all three of these 50,000 dead weight tonne vessels were built.The vessels’ names also incorporate the long standing naming traditions of the ship owners, emphasizing the close cooperation and joint efforts making this innovative vessel design a reality.
Jone Hognestad, President, Waterfront Shipping stated:
“Celebrating the naming of these vessels with our partners and my family is an honour.I’m proud to add these sustainable vessels to our fleet and have my family name displayed.”
With the growing demand for cleaner marine fuel to meet environmental regulations, methanol is a promising alternative fuel for ships that can meet the industry’s increasingly stringent emissions regulations. Methanol is a biodegradable, clean-burning marine fuel that significantly reduces smog-causing emissions such as particulates, sulphur oxides and nitrogen oxides.
“This is just the beginning of our investment in this clean, innovative marine technology. We’re excited to explore fuel diversification and provide our customers with options through dual-fuel engines,” states Patrik Mossberg, Chairman, Marinvest. “We are pleased to be in Korea for its first methanol-fueled ship naming ceremony. We are not only welcoming a new vessel but also a groundbreaking innovative technology to the shipping industry,”added Rolf Westfal-Larsen, President and CEO, Westfal-Larsen Management
“Having the delivery of the tanker with the first dual-fuel engine take place in Japan is a landmark. This is a revolutionary initiative that will move the shipping industry forward and in the right direction,” Yoshikazu Kawagoe, Managing Executive Officer (Technical), Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd ended.
Lindanger was delivered to WL on April 20 and Taranaki Sun delivered to MOL on April 22. The Mari Jone will be delivered to Marinvest/WFS on April 28. All vessels will be chartered by WFS.
Source & Image credits: methanex
