Historic Net-Zero Voyage Achieved By MOL Tanker

Operated by Waterfront Shipping, a subsidiary of Methanex, and chartered from MOL, Cajun Sun is fitted with a two-stroke, methanol dual-fuel Mitsui-built MAN B&W 7S50 ME-LGI  seven-cylinder engine.

Net-zero emissions voyage

To achieve the net-zero emissions voyage, the 49,993-dwt Cajun Sun used a blend of ISCC-certified bio-methanol that has negative carbon intensity with natural gas-based methanol. This enabled the tanker to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on a lifecycle basis were achieved for the 18-day trans-Atlantic voyage.

World’s largest shipowners

The ground-breaking voyage brings together the world’s largest producer of methanol and one of the world’s largest shipowners to demonstrate the viability of methanol as a marine fuel with a pathway to net-zero emissions.

Tangible solution

“We’re proud to bring the marine industry a tangible solution to transition towards net-zero emissions through our blended methanol product using biomethanol produced from renewable natural gas at our facility in Geismar, US,”said Methanex low carbon solutions senior vice president Mark Allard.

“As the world’s largest methanol producer, we are establishing a network of relationships with leading renewable natural gas suppliers and assessing other pathways, including carbon capture and storage and e-methanol, to provide solutions for the marine industry and other customers.”

Long-term partnership

MOL bunker business division executive officer Kazuhiro Takahashi, said, “This is another example of what we can collectively accomplish in our long-term partnership with Methanex and Waterfront Shipping that was solidified in early 2022 when we purchased a 40% interest in Waterfront Shipping.”

Alternative fuels

Added Mr Takahashi, “MOL, as a pioneering shipping company, is committed to reducing the environmental impact of the shipping sector. The use of methanol, which can be readily adopted today, is one of the very promising alternative fuels. We are also contributing to various stages of supply chain through the development and usage of alternative fuels in the global shipping industry.”

Sister vessel

The use of methanol as an alternative marine fuel was pioneered by Waterfront Shipping in 2016 when it joined with Methanex and MOL, in conjunction with other key partners, to build the world’s first ocean-going methanol dual-fuel tanker Taranaki Sun, sister vessel to Cajun Sun and Manchac Sun.

All three tankers were built to ClassNK class in Japan at the Minaminippon Shipbuilding.