One of the world’s largest producers of methanol, Proman has joined hands with shipping company Stena to develop retrofitting and supply solutions for the existing vessels to help them adapt to methanol as their fuel source, according to FleetMon.

It stated: “Citing data the companies said that currently there are 70,000 vessels around the world and by 2050 the unchecked emissions from these vessels could increase by as much as 130% from 2008 levels. To secure the future of the industry it will be necessary to switch to low-carbon fuels however the current technologies and added expenses make this energy transition a challenge for ship-owners.

“It has been noted that often the cost of conversion outweighs the benefits. In a recent example, Hapag-Lloyd had converted its containership BRUSSELS EXPRESS, making it LNG-ready, however the CEO of the company later said that the cost of conversion offshoot the budget, which has made the future conversions uneconomical.
“Explaining their model, Stena and Proman have said that methanol offers immediate and required benefits. They added that methanol is biodegradable and water-soluble, thus it reduces the impact on the marine ecosystem. Per Westling, CEO Stena RoRo said that the company had converted its STENA GERMANICA for methanol fuel in 2015 and has now gained valuable experience in conversion as well as in operations.

“The first vessel to be converted under this collaboration will be Stena Pro Patria, which is expected to be delivered in 2022. Later three Proman-owned vessels will undergo conversion and will be available for service by 2023. Both the involved companies hope to bring wider acceptability of methanol fuel and facilitate the energy transition for ship-owners for clean shipping.”