Sweden-based ferry company Stena Line has announced that it will convert its vessel Stena Germanica to methanol propulsion, making it the world’s first methanol vessel.
The 240m-long ferry will be converted to run on methanol at a cost of EUR22m ($27.5m), the first such conversion of its type.
The 1,500-passenger ferry Stena Germanica will be the world’s first ship powered by methanol.
With an aim to reduce emissions, the conversion of the vessel will take place at the at Remontova Shipyard in Poland starting January 2015. Wartsila in co-operation with Stena Teknic will be using an engine conversion kit, which will allow the vessel to operate in dual-fuel configuration using methanol supplied by Methanex.
Image Credits: wikipedia/Danica
Stena line also said that they are constantly evaluating different fuels for the future and to be first in the world with a methanol conversion is a big step towards sustainable transportation.
Stena Line CEO Carl-Johan Hagman is proud of the pioneering role of his company: “Our aim has always been to apply innovation to increase the benefits for our passengers and society in general. We constantly review the use of different types of fuel for the future. And now to be the world’s first owner of a ship with methanol-drive, is a big step towards sustainable transport. The project is taking shape thanks to the excellent cooperation between our technology, Wärtsilä and Methanex a very good course! Even within the Stena Sphere, many areas were involved: Stena Teknik, Stena Bulk, Stena RoRo and Stena Oil “.
“The size of our company is in compliance with the new sulfur-directive one advantage: We can and will test in the next few years, various drive types. So a revamp of further ferries on methanol depends for example on the experience of our pilot project Stena Germanica. The conversion of a fleet of 40 ferries is a major challenge that requires a lot of time, energy and financial resources. ”
The ship will run between Gothenburg, Sweden and Kiel, Germany. According to reports, the emissions of sulphur (SOx) will be reduced to about 99%, nitrogen (NOx) 60%, particles (PM) 95% and carbon dioxide (CO2) 25% as compared with today’s fuel.
Reference : mynewsdesk.com
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