Switzerland’s methanol producer Proman and the Saudi Arabian-based global logistics and transportation company Bahri, have announced that the Bahri affiliate company Bahri Chemicals has taken the two methanol-powered tankers “Stena Provident” and “Stena Progressive” on time charter for a five-year period, to transport various products globally.
As Shipping Telegraph reported on November 24, 2023, the “Stena Provident” and “Stena Progressive” were officially named during a ceremony hosted at Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI) in China in November 2023 where both ships were built.
The two vessels are the final two of an initial six-strong methanol-fuelled tanker fleet commissioned through the partnership between Proman and Stena Bulk, and the IMOIIMeMAX ships are highly efficient dual-fuel tankers with Marineline coating that can be used to ship a wide variety of cargo, bulk products, and chemicals.
Proman informs, that since the delivery of the Stena Pro Patria in 2022, the first vessel of the IMOIIMeMAX fleet, operational efficiency has been demonstrated by the low EEDI (Energy Efficiency Design Index) value.
Phase 3 of the EEDI requires all vessels built from 2022 to achieve at least a 30% reduction in carbon intensity (grams CO2 per ton-mile) by 2025, and the Stena Pro Patria has already delivered 11% below this level, setting a new benchmark for methanol-fuelled tankers.
Anita Gajadhar, executive director of marketing and logistics at Proman, credited the long standing and fruitful relationship between the two companies and the proven capabilities of methanol as a cleaner fuel as key to the deal.
She also highlighted the record-breaking number of methanol dual-fuel ships due for delivery in the coming years, adding “methanol is increasingly becoming a mainstream marine fuel and Proman is committed to time-chartering our vessels to enable others to gain operational experience of using methanol as a fuel, to realise the immediate air quality benefits and emissions reductions it brings, and to understand its value and role on the pathway to a lower-emission future”.
Faisal Al Husseini, president of Bahri Chemicals, said: “The path to carbon reduction in the maritime transportation ecosystem is multi-faceted. We at Bahri Chemicals believe methanol is an important component of that equation. As the flagship carrier of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the largest owner and operator of IMO2 MR vessels, we strive to continually play a vital role in protecting the environment and setting industry standards.”
