First ever barge-to-ship methanol bunkering on the US Gulf Coast.
The JV tankers Stena Pro Marine and Stena Prosperous were refuelled with methanol via barge while discharging clean petroleum products at a terminal in the Port of Houston in the first week of April. Stena Pro Marine was bunkered with 1,408MT of methanol, and Stena Prosperous was refuelled with 1,203MT during the operation. Both ships were time-chartered to a global trading house at the time of the refuelling.
The barge bunkering operation was conducted jointly with Kirby Corporation. Methanol is widely available in the Port of Houston, which is the United States’ busiest port in terms of foreign tonnage. Thanks to the presence of major petrochemicals hubs and significant storage capacity, more than 275,000MT of methanol is available at the port.
The landmark first bunkering supports wider efforts by US ports and shipping companies to make the industry more sustainable, Proman Stena Bulk highlighted. The Port of Houston aims to become carbon neutral in the next 30 years. A key pillar of the port’s strategy is the deployment of alternative fuels and clean energy sources.
Methanol, Ammonia and Hydrogen
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