NCL Nordland, the second of two container vessels that put bio-methanol at the forefront of container shipping’s low carbon future, has entered service weeks after sistership Vestland verified that its Berg Propulsion package optimizes efficiency regardless of energy source.
Owned by MPC Container Ships, the dual-fuel 1300 TEU vessels can be operated on methanol and/or MGO, under a 15-year charter to North Sea Container Line in services connecting Norway and Rotterdam.
“Nordland and Vestland establish MPCC as an early mover in competitive green fuel strategies to deliver long-term shareholder value for shipping’s low carbon future,” said Constantin Baack, CEO of MPCC.
Space efficiency and the high-performance propulsion systems built into these ships cut energy consumption per TEU by 63 per cent per nautical mile compared to their predecessors.
NCL has also signed a deal with Equinor to bunker bio-methanol – initially running on a five per cent blend, but increasing bio-methanol content over time to support carbon neutral operations as the supply chain matures.
On each ship, the integrated Berg energy management system and tailored total propulsion solution consolidates the electric part of the propulsion train to optimise the two-stroke main engine performance, and Berg’s MPP 1410 Controllable Pitch Propeller and MTT bow and stern thrusters.
