PROMAN Stena Bulk, a joint venture between methanol producer Proman and tanker shipping company Stena Bulk, yesterday confirmed that the first methanol-powered newbuild vessel under its partnership has been delivered and is preparing for commercial operation.
The methanol-powered 49,990 DWT Stena Pro Patria is the first of six state-of-the-art, dual-fuel, mid-range (MR) tankers being built at Guangzhou Shipyard International Co Ltd in China for Proman Stena Bulk and Proman. Two more vessels, the Stena Pro Marine and Stena Promise are also due for delivery later this year.
In a news release yesterday, the joint venture partners said the Stena Pro Patria will leave GSI Shipyard to bunker in Ulsan, South Korea and will arrive in Trinidad and Tobago for her naming ceremony later this year. This is significant for Trinidad and Tobago, being the first such Naming Ceremony for a methanol newbuild ship to be hosted in-country. Stena Pro Patria is named in honour of Dennis Patrick, an integral member of the Proman family and the long-standing former CEO of Proman’s subsidiary Methanol Holdings (Trinidad) Limited (MHTL), who passed away in 2019.
The vessel will run on methanol, representing Proman Stena Bulk’s commitment to methanol’s role as part of the shipping industry’s sustainable fuels pathway. With an expected consumption of 12,500 tonnes of methanol marine fuel per annum, the Stena Pro Patria will be a low-emission vessel, eliminating local pollutants including sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide.
The joint venture partners said Trinidad and Tobago has a remarkable opportunity to benefit from this development as a leading producer of methanol, and our existing Point Lisas plants and infrastructure are well-positioned to enable emissions reduction targets across the maritime sector.
“The delivery of the Stena Pro Patria represents an important milestone for Proman Stena Bulk. It is a significant step forward as the JV continues its ambition to support the development of methanol as a proven marine fuel and the role it can play as part of global shipping’s urgent transition to a more sustainable future,” according to the partners.
With impending regulation from the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) as well as increasing demand from cargo owners and financiers for higher environmental standards, these vessels set a new benchmark for mid-range tanker sustainability.
The Stena Pro Patria will feature state-of-the-art energy efficiency technology, including continually controlled combustion, optimised tuning, redesigned and aerodynamic hull lines, and an energy shaft generator, reducing fuel consumption and helping to meet and go beyond IMO compliance criteria, said the partners.
Proman CEO David Cassidy said: “The delivery of the Stena Pro Patria represents a major milestone for the success of our joint venture with Stena Bulk, as well as sending an important message to the market—that methanol is a reliable and available marine fuel that can reduce global shipping emissions in the short, medium and long term.
“The vessel’s state-of-the-art fuel consumption and engine technology are important steps towards more sustainable shipping; it will be vital as new low-emission
fuels emerge to also focus on energy efficiency. We hope today’s news and our continued investment and commitment will encourage others to accelerate their transition to cleaner fuels like methanol, benefiting from immediate emissions savings while also sending out strong demand signals to the market.”
