Proman Stena Bulk Names Its First Methanol-fueld Tanker in Trinidad & Tobago
In a ceremony held in Trinidad and Tobago on November 23, 2022, Proman Stena Bulk Ltd formally named its first newbuild IMOIIMeMAX methanol-fueled 49,900 DWT vessel, Stena Pro Patria.
Stena Pro Patria is the first of three methanol-fueled vessels delivered in 2022 to the joint venture between tanker company Stena Bulk and the methanol producer Proman, with a further three newbuilds due for delivery between now and 2024.
The naming ceremony was the first for a methanol-fueled newbuild in Trinidad and Tobago, and was attended by Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister, Dr. Keith Rowley, as well as the Minister of Energy and Energy Industries, the Honourable Stuart Young.
During the visit, Stena’s leadership, including William Olsson, Chairman of Stena Sessan AB and Board Member Stena AB; Erik Hånell, President & CEO Stena Bulk AB; and Markus Lindbom, CEO Stena Rederi AB, had an opportunity to visit Proman’s fourteen petrochemical production facilities in the Point Lisas Industrial Estate, as part of a plant tour led by Proman’s Chief Executive David Cassidy.
Proman is the largest investor and employer in the Point Lisas Industrial Estate, which is home to Trinidad and Tobago’s downstream petrochemicals sector. Proman’s facilities include the M5000 methanol plant, which produces low-carbon methanol by recycling CO2 produced from nearby ammonia plants. Since 2006, almost 24 million tonnes of CO2 have been captured from both Proman’s own and neighboring ammonia plants and re-used.
Dr. The Honourable Keith Rowley, Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, is pictured during the ribbon-cutting with Mr. David Cassidy, Chief Executive of Proman ©Proman Stena Bulk
Stena Pro Patria was delivered in June 2022 and, according to the owner, has demonstrated an unprecedently low EEDI (Energy Efficiency Design Index) value while running on methanol.According to the company, the IMOIIMeMax vessel series benefits from industry-leading design improvements and technologies to maximise energy efficiency, resulting in an EEDI 11% below the 2025 Phase 3 requirements – setting a new benchmark for methanol-fuelled tankers and further proving the operational viability of methanol as a marine fuel.
Stena Pro Patria will use approximately 12,500 tonnes of methanol as fuel per year, which, the company said, will significantly reduce the volume of greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the vessel’s commercial operations compared to conventional marine fuels.
At the naming ceremony, Keith Rowley, Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago highlighted the potential for bunkering in Trinidad and Tobago to be a significant part of the country’s economic development, saying: “We are one of the largest producers and exporters of methanol in the world, and we happen geographically to be on a place at the tip of South America, East of the Panama Canal where all these vessels are being encouraged to change their fuel consumption from the dirty fuel to clean fuel – and that fuel is available in Trinidad and Tobago. What we are aiming to do is to make Trinidad and Tobago a major refuelling hub for oceangoing vessels that can be refuelled by clean fuel.”
Erik Hånell, President and CEO of Stena Bulk, said: "This naming ceremony for Stena Pro Patria in Trinidad and Tobago is another important milestone for Proman Stena Bulk. “Every step our joint venture takes proves the viability of methanol as a marine fuel and underlines that it is technically feasible, with the right knowledge and backing, to be used in-operation today. We are honoured to lead methanol's development and scaling within the industry and to be working closely with Proman on our shared vision for methanol.
“Finally, we must also recognize the role that Trinidad and Tobago has played in making this naming ceremony a reality. As an important methanol shipping hub, there was no better place to hold this important event for Stena Pro Patria and our joint venture.”
David Cassidy, Chief Executive of Proman, added: “We were delighted to welcome our Stena partners to Trinidad and Tobago. We share a commitment to accelerating the clean shipping transition, via our methanol-fueled newbuilds and other initiatives, so it was particularly valuable to tour our methanol production facilities and reaffirm the low-carbon pathway for the maritime market.
"Stena Pro Patria is a very special vessel, as the first tanker in our joint venture with Stena Bulk and due to her deeper connection to the Proman family. It was a pleasure to bring everyone together, from Stena to our wider partners and employees here in Trinidad and Tobago, to give Stena Pro Patria the naming ceremony that she deserves.”
The naming ceremony was held in Trinidad and Tobago to honor Stena Pro Patria’s connection to Dennis Patrick, the late Chief Executive of Proman’s subsidiary Methanol Holdings (Trinidad) Limited (MHTL), for whom the vessel is named.
According to the company's statement, Dennis was a deeply valued colleague and longstanding member of the Proman family and Mrs. Cassandra Patrick is the Godmother of Stena Pro Patria.