Stena Provident, one of six state-of-the-art methanol fuelled IMOIIMeMAX ships commissioned through the partnership between Proman and Stena Bulk, completed the first ever methanol bunkering at the Port of Savannah, in Georgia, US.
The vessel, which is time-chartered by Bahri Chemicals, successfully loaded almost 1000 MT of methanol at Colonial Terminals’ Lathrop 2 facility, in an historic first for the port.
The landmark represents another step forward for methanol as a marine fuel. 2023 saw a record number of orders for methanol-fuelled vessels, as its benefits as a cleaner burning fuel were further understood. According to DNV, the number of methanol-fuelled ships in operation will more than double this year, with over 250 such ships in operation by the end of 2026.
Savannah is a significant port and completing the first ever methanol bunkering here underlines the growing demand for methanol as a marine fuel, and the increasing industry acceptance of its role on the pathway to achieving a lower-emission future for the shipping sector.
..Anita Gajadhar, Executive Director of Marketing and Logistics at Proman, said.
Terence Collins, Director Chartering at Bahri Chemicals added: “We’d like to applaud our partners at Proman and Colonial Terminals for their expert handling of the inaugural methanol bunkering procedure in Savannah. We are quite sure this will be the first of many smooth and successful operations at the terminal not only for us, but for many other operators.”
Methanol brings immediate cleaner air benefits when used instead of conventional marine fuels, cutting nitrogen oxides (NOx) by up to 80 percent and virtually eliminating sulphur oxides (SOx) and particulate matter.
