Fratelli Cosulich orders first methanol bunker tanker

Fratelli Cosulich said the vessel will work for commodity trader Trafigura at the Port of Singapore under a timecharter contract. It will be deployed to deliver marine fuels for TFG Marine, Tragura’s international marine fuel supply and procurement joint venture with shipowning companies Frontline Ltd and Golden Ocean Group. 

Fratelli Cosulich Bunkers Singapore will oversee the technical management and operations of the vessel for TFG Marine. The Port of Singapore plans to procure a steady supply of methanol from 2025 to meet future bunkering needs. 

The 7,990-dwt IMO Type II chemical vessel will have a capacity of 8,000 m³ and its cargo tanks will be coated to allow the vessel to carry both green methanol and biofuels. The vessel will have twin fixed pitch propellers, each driven by an electrical motor via the gear box, and three dual-fuel generator sets supplied by MAN Energy Solutions. An onboard battery storage system will optimise generator use.

“We believe in a multi-fuel future and this is an additional important step by our Group in that direction, after having built two LNG bunker vessels. With this important investment, the Group wants to reaffirm its commitment to decarbonisation,” said Fratelli Cosulich Marine Energy head of business development Guido Cardullo. 

TFG Marine global head of bunkering Kenneth Dam said, “The vessel has been designed to our technical specications, including stringent safety considerations, so that it can be continually powered by methanol. Delivery of the vessel in the last quarter of 2025 should coincide with growing demand for methanol as a bunker fuel from shipowners.” 

“Deploying a vessel powered by a renewable fuel such as green methanol also helps TFG Marine to meet its licence requirement and commitment to the Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore.”