First methanol tug launches in Antwerp

The 30m Methatug has a traction force of 50 tonnes and can carry 12,000 litres of methanol, enough for two weeks of tug work.

Developed as part of the FASTWATER project, funded by Europe’s Horizon 2020 project, the tug is an important step in the port’s ambitions to green its fleet and become climate-neutral by 2050.

“Together with our partners, we are pioneering with innovative technologies for the transition to alternative and renewable energy sources,” said Jacques Vandermeiren, chief executive of Port of Antwerp-Bruges.

“The Methatug is a new and essential step in our efforts to make our own fleet greener and become climate neutral by 2050.”

For the Methatug, the engines from an existing tugboat were converted into ‘dual fuel’ engines, which means that they run on a mixture of methanol and traditional fuel. The tug will be supplied with methanol by De Wit Bunkering via truck-to-ship.

Green fleet and multi fuel port

This world premier is part of the port’s greening programme which has already seen the delivery of the first tugboat to run on hydrogen along with energy-efficient RSD tugboats. In another first for Europe, the port will take delivery of an electrically powered tugboat later this year.

As the fifth largest bunker port in the world, Port of Antwerp-Bruges also aims to become a full-fledged multi-fuel port providing bunkering for not only conventional fuels, but also alternatives such as methanol, hydrogen or electricity.