Antwerp-Bruges launches a methanol dual-fuel tugboat

The Port of Antwerp-Bruges has launched a dual-fuel tugboat, the Methatug, capable of running on methanol and conventional fuels.

PHOTO: Methanol powered tugboat Methatug. Port of Antwerp-Bruges

For the project, the engine of an existing tugboat has been converted to a dual-fuel system, allowing it to operate on both methanol and conventional fuel.

The initiative has been funded by the European research programme Horizon 2020 and is part of the FASTWATER project, which aims to demonstrate methanol's potential as a sustainable marine fuel.

The 30-meter-long tugboat can store 12,000 litres of methanol, sufficient for two weeks of operation.

By Debarati Bhattacharjee

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