Americas News
US Gulf: First Ship-to-ship Methanol Bunker Operation
Physical methanol supplier Proman and ship operator Stena Bulk have completed their first ship-to-ship bunker operation on the US Gulf Coast.
Methanol was bunkered under the companies' joint venture, Proman Stena Bulk.
"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," Proman said in a statement.
"Stena Pro Marine was bunkered with 1,408 metric tonnes (mt) of methanol, and Stena Prosperous was refuelled with 1,203 mt during the operation."
Barge operator Kirby Corporation jointly conducted the operation, according to the statement.
Refuelling with methanol while working cargo shows "the ease and minimal infrastructure requirements associated with methanol as a marine fuel, as well as its widespread availability", Proman added.
The port of Houston is home to a major petrochemicals hub and significant storage capacity, with some 275,000 mt of methanol available at the port.
