X-Press Feeders Unveils First-Of-Its-Kind Bio Methanol Dual-Fuel Vessel

X-Press Feeders, the largest independent common carrier in the world, has unveiled the first of 14 methanol dual-fuel ships, which will serve as the foundation of a green feeder network in the Baltic.

These 1,200 TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Unit) capacity ships, which are currently being built in China, have a total length of 148 meters. The first dual-fuel ship, Eco Maestro, is expected to sail in the first quarter of the coming year.

Known for being the first ship ever built in China to run on bioethanol, Eco Maestro intends to use biomethanol on its voyage to Europe.

Even though the goal is to run the ship entirely on green methanol from Shanghai to Rotterdam, some ports need to be equipped to provide vessels with methanol along the way. To help with the transfer, X-Press Feeders is proactively interacting with these ports.

X-Press Feeders has contracted with Dutch fuel supplier OCI Global to guarantee a supply of green methanol at the Port of Rotterdam beginning in 2024.

The company estimates that when the Eco Maestro is used on a round-trip service, the CO2e emissions from the vessel will be reduced by 268 kg for each TEU that is transported, as opposed to a feeder vessel with a similar capacity that runs on conventional marine fuel.

This announcement comes after Maersk unveiled its first dual-fuel ship powered by methanol, which is presently sailing in the Baltic.

Reference: Splash