Chinese Firm Orders Fleet of 16 Methanol-Powered Bulkers

A Chinese shipowner has ordered a fleet of methanol-only bulkers, eschewing dual-fuel technology to run on methanol only.

Wuhan Innovation Jianghai Transportation has contracted with Jiangsu Qinfeng Shipbuilding to build 16 coastal freighters of about 15,000-20,000 dwt capacity. The vessels will run on a domestically designed methanol-only engine developing 1-2MW of power. It is the first time that a Chinese firm has built coastwise vessels that run on methanol as a single fuel, according to Wuhan Innovation.

The firm did not specify whether the fuel for these vessels will be green methanol or fossil-based methanol, which accounts for 95 percent of global production. Fossil-based methanol has higher well-to-wake CO2 emissions than conventional bunker fuel oil - especially in markets where commercial-grade methanol is produced from coal, as it often is in China. The Chinese government encourages the use of methanol as a fuel in part because of its low smog-related emissions: when burned, fossil methanol emits far less particulate matter, NOx and SOx at the exhaust stack, even though its lifecycle CO2 emissions are much higher.

Wuhan owns a fleet of LNG dual-fuel bulkers that operate on coastal and riverine routes, and it has a history of making innovative bets. It has built a specially-designed 10,000-ton vessel that can navigate as far up the Yangtze as Luohuangzhen, on the upriver side of the Three Gorges Dam. The vessel's shallow four-meter draft is capable of passing through the dam's ship elevator, unlike any other vessel in its deadweight capacity class. The firm says that this LNG-powered shipping link is the first of its kind, and reduces the need for multiple barges - saving fuel, time and cost.