Stena Line launches world’s first methanol-powered ship

MAR 31, 2015: Stena Germanica came back into operation on March 26, now as the world’s very first methanol-powered ship. This makes Stena Line the first shipping company to use eco-friendly methanol as the primary fuel.

“We are extremely enthusiastic about methanol, which has the potential to become the marine fuel of the future. Our aim is to drive change and development in shipping. With Stena Germanica our environmental impact will be entirely different from anything the industry has seen in the past,” said Carl-Johan Hagman, CEO at Stena Line.

Methanol is a biologically degradable, eco-friendly, cost-effective fuel that reduces sulphur and particulate matter emissions by 99 per cent. The ferry’s fuel system and engines have been adapted at the shipyard as part of a collaborative venture between Stena Line and Wärtsilä. The technology is known as dual fuel – methanol is the primary fuel although MGO, Marine Gas Oil, can be used as a back-up.

“Stena Line’s decision to invest in methanol is a very positive move. The shipping industry is facing major environmental challenges and it is good that there is a range of green fuels to choose from,” said Magnus Kårestedt, CEO at the Port of Gothenburg.

Conversion of Stena Germanica took place at the Remontova Shipyard in Gdansk in Poland. Work commenced at the end of January and was completed by the end of March. The project received support through the EU Motorways of the Seas initiative and the total cost was around EUR 22 million.
The conversion has already received an award for its new and innovative technology and the advances it represents in the marine environment.