Singaporean owner launches first of four bunker vessels ready for methanol

Hong Lam Marine Pte reported that it has launched Priority, the first of four 7,999-dwt oil and chemical bunkering vessels at China’s Jiangmen Hangtong Shipbuilding.

The Singaporean owner said the IMO Type II bunker vessel will be capable of carrying methanol and other chemical cargoes and have an advanced Power Management System (PMS) with lithium battery for peak-shaving and battery-assisted cargo operations to mitigate high demand charges, yielding significant cost savings.

When it comes to using methanol as a fuel, Hong Lam Marine has already secured a place in maritime history. Working with Maersk, it conducted the first ship-to-container ship methanol bunkering at the Raffles Reserved Anchorage in the Port of Singapore in July 2023. Laura Maersk was refuelled with approximately 300 metric tonnes of biomethanol by Hong Lam Marine’s Singapore-registered tanker, MT Agility.