Image: Wärtsilä
The transfer to methanol continues. Yesterday, Maersk introduced it had positioned an order for six mid-sized containerships with dual-fuel engines capable of function on inexperienced methanol. Today, Wärtsilä introduced that it has been contracted by Swedish ferry operator Stena Line to hold out and convert a few of its vessels to function on methanol.
Looking on the Maersk order first, the six 9,000 TEU ships are slated for supply from Yangzijiang Shipbuilding in 2026 and 2027.
“With this order, we are taking another step in the green transformation of our fleet and towards our target of becoming net-zero in 2040,” stated Rabab Boulos, chief infrastructure officer at Maersk. “As with all our other vessel orders for the last two years, these ships will be able to run on green methanol.”
In 2021, Maersk ordered the world’s first methanol-enabled container vessel following up on a dedication to order solely newbuilds that may sail on inexperienced fuels. Just two years later, the worldwide orderbook stands at greater than 100 methanol-enabled vessels. Accounting for one quarter of that complete, Maersk now has 25 methanol-enabled vessels on order. Additionally, as we’ve got reported earlier, Maersk has large plans to retrofit current ships for methanol fueling.
STENA LINE METHANOL RETROFITS
Sweden’s Stena Line is one other long-time methanol-fueling advocate. It turned the primary ferry operator to run a ferry on methanol again in 2015 when the Stena Germanica was transformed and its two newest battery-hybrid newbuilds, ordered for the Irish Sea route again in May can be methanol-fueled, with the corporate saying that it’s at the moment working closely with suppliers and has secured future volumes of e-methanol to meet its strategic ambition of shifting to renewable fuels and reducing 30% of its CO2 emissions by 2030.
Today Wärtsilä stated that it has been contracted to hold out methanol-fueling conversions of an undisclosed variety of Stena Line vessels. The conversions will embody the gasoline provide system and engine modifications, in addition to integrating the brand new installations with the ships’ current methods. The contracts have been booked as order consumption by Wärtsilä in June 2023.
Converting the ferries for methanol gasoline will allow them to be compliant with varied current and upcoming laws, together with the Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII), FuelEU Maritime, and IMO 2050 GHG discount goal, says Wärtsilä.
“As we continue to implement our strategy to decarbonise all our operations, we see methanol as a viable alternative fuel that will help us achieve this ambition. Wärtsilä has proven its capabilities to carry out the necessary conversions. This was shown eight years ago when they converted the Stena Germanica to operate with methanol, and our experience from this ground-breaking innovation has been very positive,” stated Ian Hampton of Stena Line.
“We have had close cooperation with Stena Line for many years and we are pleased to be supporting them again in this important conversion project. Like Stena Line, Wärtsilä is committed to making decarbonized shipping operations a reality, and we have invested heavily in developing our engine portfolio to be capable of utilizing carbon neutral and zero carbon fuels,” stated Roger Holm, president of Wärtsilä’s Marine Power enterprise.
The full scope of Wärtsilä’s provide package deal will embody gasoline tank instrumentation and valves, switch pumps, low strain pump skid, gasoline valve trains, methanol gasoline pump models and the automation of the system, engine conversions, and automation improve for the engine management room.
The conversions are scheduled to happen in 2025.
