North Sea feeders to operate on low-carbon bio-methanol

Two 1,300-TEU feeder container ships owned by MPC Container Ships (MPCC) and chartered on 15-year contracts to North Sea Container Line have been commissioned with dual-fuel propulsion systems from Berg Propulsion that can use methanol or marine gasoil. The Vestland and Nordland feeder vessels are deployed on services between Norway and Rotterdam.

With a supply of a 5% bio-methanol blend from Equinor, the two ships are set to clock up large emission savings. Space efficiency and their dual-fuel propulsion systems are expected to reduce energy consumption by 63% per TEU per nautical mile.

Both ships have integrated Berg energy management systems and propulsion arrangements that consolidate the electric part of the propulsion train to optimise the two-stroke engines’ performance. They also have Berg’s MPP 1410 controllable pitch propellers and MTT bow and stern thrusters.

MPCC chief executive, Constantin Baack, said: “Nordland and Vestland establish MPCC as an early mover in competitive green fuel strategies to deliver long-term shareholder value for shipping’s low carbon future. The project also shows how we meet ambitious goals by working with like-minded partners.”

Berg Propulsion’s senior global sales manager, Mattias Hansson, commented: “We worked as a co-designer for the integrated main propulsion solution, configuring the compact engine room layout to enable optimised aft ship design and performance. We are delighted that the teamwork between all parties in this collaborative newbuilding programme has resulted in truly exceptional ship fuel efficiency.”