Gothenburg to offer e-methanol STS bunkering by 2024

Scandinavia’s Port of Gothenburg aims to attract demand from methanol-powered vessels that will be deployed by major shipping lines over the coming years.

PHOTO: Aerial view of Port of Gothenburg. Gothenburg Port Authority

The Gothenburg Port Authority has got its operating guidelines for methanol ship-to-ship (STS) bunkering approved by the Swedish Transport Agency.

The port authority says the approval was a mere formality as vessels have already bunkered methanol by truck in the port for years, starting with Stena Line's cruiseferry Stena Germanica in 2015.

Gothenburg is targeting demand from shipping lines such as Maersk and X-Press Feeders which have been among the first-movers for methanol-powered vessels.

Combined, Maersk and X-Press Feeders are set to operate around 20 methanol-powered containerships by the middle of the decade.

“It is encouraging as we need the ports to be ready when we are to decide where to route our first line of methanol propelled vessels,” says X-Press Feeders Europe senior marketing manager Sven Siemsen.