Proman Stena Bulk Ltd formally named its first state-of-the-art newbuild IMOIIMeMAX methanol-fuelled 49,900 DWT vessel, Stena Pro Patria, in a ceremony hosted in Trinidad and Tobago on 23rd November 2022, according to the company's release.
Stena Pro Patria is the first of three methanol-fuelled vessels delivered in 2022 to the joint venture between leading tanker company Stena Bulk and the leading methanol producer Proman, with a further three newbuilds due for delivery between now and 2024.
The naming ceremony was the first for a methanol-fuelled newbuild in Trinidad and Tobago.
Proman is the largest investor and employer in the Point Lisas Industrial Estate, which is home to Trinidad and Tobago’s downstream petrochemicals sector. Proman’s facilities include the world-scale M5000 methanol plant, which produces industry-leading low-carbon methanol by recycling CO2 produced from nearby ammonia plants. Since 2006, almost 24 million tonnes of CO2 have been captured from both Proman’s own and neighbouring ammonia plants and re-used.
Stena Pro Patria was delivered in June 2022 and has demonstrated an unprecedently low EEDI (Energy Efficiency Design Index) value while running on methanol. The IMOIIMeMax vessel series benefits from industry-leading design improvements and technologies to maximise energy efficiency, resulting in an EEDI 11% below the 2025 Phase 3 requirements – setting a new benchmark for methanol-fuelled tankers and further proving the operational viability of methanol as a marine fuel.
Stena Pro Patria will use approximately 12,500 tonnes of methanol as fuel per year, which will significantly reduce the volume of greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the vessel’s commercial operations compared to conventional marine fuels.
The naming ceremony was held in Trinidad and Tobago to honour Stena Pro Patria’s connection to Dennis Patrick, the late Chief Executive of Proman’s subsidiary Methanol Holdings (Trinidad) Limited (MHTL), for whom the vessel is named. Dennis was a deeply valued colleague and longstanding member of the Proman family. Mrs. Cassandra Patrick is the Godmother of Stena Pro Patria.
With offices in seven countries, Stena Bulk is one of the world’s leading tanker shipping companies. The company controls a combined fleet of around 110 vessels. Stena Bulk is part of the Stena Sphere, which has more than 20,000 employees and sales of SEK 60 billion.
Stena is one of the largest family-owned business groups in Sweden and operates worldwide within different businesses such as Ferry Operations, Offshore Drilling, Shipping, Property, Finance, New Businesses and Recycling. Head office is in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Proman is an integrated industrial group and global leader in natural gas derived products and services. Headquartered in Switzerland, with assets in the United States, Trinidad and Oman, and ongoing expansion into Mexico, Canada and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Proman is the world’s second largest methanol producer and has extensive experience in petrochemical plant operations, petrochemical and power plant construction, product marketing and logistics, and project management.