X-Press Feeders starts a green-methanol powered European feeder network with services from Rotterdam and Antwerp Bruges to Finland and the Baltics.
The Green Finland X-Press (GFX) and Green Baltic X-Press (GBX) services were launched alongside the naming and christening in Rotterdam of the first of 14 dual-fuel methanol-powered vessels X-Press Feeders has on order, Eco-Maestro.
Eco Maestro is the first ship to join the network while the second dual-fuel vessel will join by the third quarter of 2024.
As it is reported, X-Press Feeders plans to deploy these vessels mostly on routes in Europe.
X-Press Feeders is promoting the two European networks as its “Green Network.”
The two networks are Green Finland running between Rotterdam, Antwerp Bruges, Helsinki, Tallinn Hamina Kotka and Rotterdam, and the Green Baltic service which connects Rotterdam, Antwerp Bruges, Klaipeda, Riga and Rotterdam.
X-Press Feeders said the use of green methanol as a fuel will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 65%.
It also said that it is using green methanol that is independently certified in Europe under the ISCC (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification).
The company chose the port of Rotterdam as the base for Europe’s first feeder network powered by green methanol, because “Rotterdam is fully equipped to handle green methanol refuelling,” as the carrier X-Press explains.
“Today marks a significant milestone in sustainable shipping in Europe because companies here now have a regular scheduled network that can ship goods in a way that has less impact on the environment, helping companies to better achieve their sustainability goals,” said X-Press Feeders chief operating officer, Francis Goh.
“X-Press Feeders chose northern Europe for the first routes in the network because we found that customers in this part of Europe were most receptive to our plans for sustainable shipping,” he said.
“We plan to steadily expand the green network across Europe as we take delivery of our dual-fuel vessels,” he added.
