Proman Stena Bulk, the joint venture between tanker company Stena Bulk and methanol producer Proman, has taken delivery of its fourth methanol-fuelled tanker, Stena Prosperous.
The 49,990dwt vessel was built by Guangzhou Shipyard International Co Ltd (GSI) and will now enter commercial operation running fully on methanol.
Guangzhou Shipyard International was hired by Proman Stena Bulk in 2019 to build two dual-fuel chemical tankers powered by methanol.
The shipbuilding company is the first Chinese shipyard to build methanol dual-fuel vessels. The ordering tally at GSI has since increased to six vessels.
The delivery caps a marquee year for the joint venture, which now has four vessels actively trading and bunkering fully on the low-emission future fuel.
The fourth ship joins the Proman Stena Bulk-owned Stena Pro Patria and Stena Pro Marine, and the Proman-owned Stena Promise, which were all delivered in 2022.
The joint venture fleet has already loaded methanol fuel in Ulsan, Trinidad and Rotterdam in the past year, with other major bunkering hubs to follow in 2023.
Stena Prosperous, like her sister vessels, has a low Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) value while running on methanol which is 11 per cent below the 2025 Phase 3 requirements.
According to the company, the vessels’ ‘future-proofed engine designs’ make the ships ready to achieve every incoming emissions reduction target, as greater quantities of very low-carbon blue and renewable methanol become available for blending and bunkering in the near future.
