Kirby barge alongside Stena Prosperous for one in every of two barge-to-ship methanol bunkerings in Houston
Kirby Corporation (NYSE:KEX) has carried out the primary two barge-to-ship methanol bunkerings on the U.S. Gulf Coast. Two ships operated by Proman Stena Bulk, the tankers Stena Pro Marine and Stena Prosperous, had been refueled with methanol by way of barge whereas discharging clear petroleum merchandise at a terminal within the Port of Houston within the first week of April.
Stena Pro Marine was bunkered with 1,408 tonnes of methanol, and Stena Prosperous was refueled with 1,203 tonnes of methanol through the operation. Both ships had been time-chartered to a world buying and selling home on the time of the refueling.
Proman Stena Bulk is a three way partnership between Stena Bulk and Proman, one of many world’s largest producers of methanol — and, not surprisingly, a number one advocate of methanol as a marine fuel. It says that the flexibility to refuel each vessels with methanol whereas they had been alongside demonstrated the benefit and minimal infrastructure necessities related to methanol as a marine gasoline, in addition to its widespread availability.
“Completing the first barge-to-ship methanol bunkering on the U.S .Gulf Coast is a tremendous achievement for the Proman Stena Bulk joint venture,” mentioned Anita Gajadhar, government director, advertising and marketing, logistics and transport, Proman. “The Port of Houston is a major global cargo hub with significant latent methanol storage capacity. These qualities made it a natural testbed for our first U.S. ship-to-ship bunkering.”
“Kirby was pleased to be the service provider for this job,” mentioned Kirby Marine Group president Christian O’Neil. “It was a natural for us: we have extensive expertise with methanol as a cargo, with conventional bunkering, and with barge-to-ship lightering of all manner of products. We are committed to remaining a leader in energy transportation, regardless of the form that energy takes. We look forward to doing this again and again in Houston and beyond.”
Methanol is broadly accessible within the Port of Houston. Thanks to the presence of main petrochemicals hubs and important storage capability, greater than 275,000 tonnes of methanol is accessible on the port.
According to Proman, at present accessible typical methanol, produced from pure fuel, just about eliminates SOx and particulate matter, cuts NOx by 80%, and reduces tank-to-wake CO2 emissions from the vessel’s business operations by as much as 15% in comparison with typical marine fuels. It says that, by utilizing methanol as gasoline, the Proman Stena Bulk three way partnership vessels are futureproofed in opposition to each incoming emissions goal, as larger portions of low-carbon and inexperienced methanol will turn into accessible for mixing and bunkering within the close to future.
Production of inexperienced methanol from sustainable sources reminiscent of sustainable bio-mass or renewable power is rising and Proman is investing in its personal low-carbon and inexperienced methanol manufacturing capabilities, together with a brand new 100,000 tonne per 12 months methanol facility in growth in North America. The undertaking is at present being constructed with a goal begin of operations in 2025. The facility will produce bio-methanol from non-recyclable forestry residues and municipal strong waste,contributing to the round economic system.
