Van Oord chooses methanol for its newbuilding

Netherlands-based dredging and marine engineering firm, Van Oord, has chosen Wärtsilä 32 engines capable of running on methanol for a new offshore wind installation vessel under construction at Yantai CIMC Raffles shipyard in China. The order, placed in November 2021, includes a methanol fuel supply system and will be delivered to the shipyard in early 2023. The contract also includes a package of thrusters for effective station-keeping.

Wärtsilä’s experience of methanol as a marine fuel extends back to 2015 when the company converted the first of four engines on the 2000-built RoPax vessel, Stena Germanica, to use methanol as fuel.

The company claimed in a statement that the benefits of ‘green’ methanol include the fact that it is relatively inexpensive to produce, can be stored easily, and is widely available with an established supply infrastructure. However, in its ‘green’ form, it is made from hydrogen produced from renewable electricity and recaptured carbon.

Harold Linssen, Van Oord project director, commented: “We see methanol as one of the alternatives to meet the industry’s goals to reduce its environmental impact. We are pleased to be the pioneer of Wärtsilä’s latest methanol-fuelled engine technology.”

The Finnish technology group recently signed a long-term strategic cooperation agreement with the Yantai CIMC Raffles shipyard. The companies plan to collaborate on the design and development of future-proof ships, including the use of carbon-free fuels and other integrated technologies.