Stena Line to convert some of its vessels to run on methanol

Swedish ferry operator Stena Line has contracted Finnish engine maker Wärtsilä to convert some of its vessels to operate on methanol.

PHOTO: Wärtsilä’s methanol engine. Wärtsilä

The process will include modifications in the fuel supply system and engine along with integration of new installations to the vessels’ existing system. However, the company has not revealed the number of vessels to be converted.

The conversions are expected to take place in 2025.

“As we continue to implement our strategy to decarbonise all our operations, we see methanol as a viable alternative fuel that will help us achieve this ambition,” Stena Line’s communications and sustainability officer Ian Hampton says.

Methanol has been seeing an increase in adoption among shipowners as they seek alternatives to reduce emissions. This month, Danish shipping major A.P. Moller – Maersk ordered six additional dual-fuel mid-size container vessels that can run on green methanol.

Also this month, Danish shipping firm J. Lauritzen contracted Japan's Tsuneishi Shipyard for a third dual-fuel methanol bulk carrier and Canadian shipping company Algoma Central ordered two methanol-ready product tankers from Hyundai Mipo Shipyard in South Korea.

Currently, the global methanol-capable fleet is made up of 26 vessels, with another four expected to join this year, according to classification society DNV data.

By Tuhin Roy

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