First methanol-fuelled carriers set to sail

The carriers are the first in a series of seven employing dual-fuel MAN B&W ME-LGI engines capable of burning methanol, heavy fuel oil, marine diesel oil or gas oil. Two are owned by Westfal-Larsen Management, two by Marinvest jointly with Waterfront Shipping and the remaining three by Mitsui OSK Lines.

The ships were built by Hyundai Mipo Dockyard and Minaminippon Shipbuilding Co. The first three vessels are being delivered in April, with the remaining four to be delivered by October 2016.

Methanol is a biodegradable, clean-burning marine fuel that reduces emissions including particulate matter, sulphur oxides and nitrogen oxides. Switching between the available fuels will enable the 50,000dwt vessels to hedge against fuel price volatility, noted Ole Grøne senior vice president and head of marketing and sales for MAN Diesel & Turbo.

Jone Hognestad, president, Waterfront Shipping, said: “Working with our partners to advance new, clean technology is an important and innovative step in the right direction. Investing in methanol-based marine fuel reinforces our commitment to invest in sustainable technology that not only provides environmental benefits but also an economically viable alternative marine fuel. The cost to build new and convert existing vessels to run on methanol is significantly less than alternate fuel conversions.”

The naming ceremony for the two ships owned by Westafal-Larsen – one of which is held in joint venture with Waterfront Shipping and Marinvest, will take place in South Korea on 18 April, officially taking delivery on 20 and 28 April. MOL will take delivery of its ships in Japan on 22 April.

An in-depth report on the ME-LGI engine and the viability of methanol as a marine fuel featured in the February issue of The Motorship magazine, and will be made available online to coincide with the delivery of the first three vessels later this month.