Proman scales up methanol bunkering in Trinidad

PORT OF SPAIN, August 21, 2024 – Petrochemicals giant Proman has expanded its methanol bunkering operations in Trinidad, seeing the country as a potential hub for the activity, the company said on Monday.

The company’s latest operations involved the Stena Prosperous, which was refuelled in the Trinidadian port of Point Lisas on August 16 with methanol produced at Proman’s local facilities. The Stena Pro Patria is being refuelled at the same location this week, with which the company will have supplied 2,100 tonnes of methanol fuel to ships in August alone, and 12,500 tonnes in the past 12 months.

These operations “demonstrate Trinidad’s potential as a methanol bunkering hub,” Proman said.

Swiss-headquartered Proman has been advocating the use of methanol as a cleaner aviation and bunkering fuel.

Proman and Stena Bulk embarked on a joint venture to construct six newbuild methanol-fuelled vessels, the first of which was named in a ceremony held in Port of Spain in November 2022. For Trinidad, this represents a dual opportunity: to simultaneously attract more global attention and develop an increased demand from the methanol market, and to further develop world-class expertise and infrastructure.

As a regional hub for shipping and logistics, particularly for energy markets such as Guyana and Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago is helped by investments and developments such as these in setting a trajectory for regional decarbonisation goals in the maritime sector.

The National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited has taken an active role in emphasising the need for the energy transition and has set sights on expanding its trading portfolio. In February 2022, NGC entered a partnership with Proman to lift methanol cargo from Methanol Holdings, and in October 2023 it signed a gas sales contract with Methanex as part of a strategic undertaking to restart the idled Titan methanol plant, which has a capacity to produce up to 875,000 tonnes per year.

Image courtesy of Proman Stena Bulk.

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