German Firm Orders Four Methanol-Fuelled Heavy Lift Vessels

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Tuesday December 20, 2022

Germany's SAL Heavy Lift GmbH has ordered four new heavy lift vessels capable of running on methanol.

Engineering firm Wärtsilä will supply the ships' hybrid propulsion systems, it said in an emailed statement on Tuesday.

The four ships, with an option for another two, will be built at the Wuhu Shipyard in China.

"These ships represent the next generation in heavy lift shipping," Martin Harren, CEO of SAL Heavy Lift, said in the statement.

"In addition to their technical capabilities, they will feature outstanding environmental performance and help guide shipping towards a greener future."

Methanol is rapidly growing in stature as an alternative marine fuel, with several large methanol-fuelled boxships on the way for AP Moller-Maersk and CMA CGM. The next key step for this market will be scaling up green methanol supply around the world to ensure availability at the biggest bunkering hubs.