Methanol bunkering milestone at Savannah

Stena Provident, which is one of six methanol-fuelled IMOIIMeMAX ships that have been commissioned through the partnership between Proman and Stena Bulk, was officially named at a ceremony hosted at Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI) in China in November 2023. In January 2024, Proman announced a 5 year time-chartering agreement for the Stena Provident and sister ship the Stena Progressive with Bahri Chemicals.

The methanol bunkering 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.

Anita Gajadhar, Executive Director of Marketing and Logistics at Proman, said: “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.

“Our fleet of methanol fuelled vessels have been in operation around the world for over 20 months and we are proud to be enabling others to gain valuable operational experience of using methanol as a marine fuel by time chartering Stena Provident and other ships in the fleet. The bunkering was made possible thanks to the collaboration with Bahri Chemicals and Colonial Terminals, and I am sure it marks the first of many methanol refuellings at the port”.

“We pride ourselves on the safe and efficient handling of our customers’ diverse mix of bulk products, as well as leading and supporting marketplace innovation,” said Ryan Chandler, President of Colonial Terminals. “We are grateful to be included in this collaborative effort that supplied the first methanol bunkers in the Savannah market.”

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.”

The Port of Savannah is a major hub for the world’s biggest shipping companies as the fourth busiest port in the US. It is also home to the largest single-terminal container facility of its kind in North America.