TFG Marine Supports Fratelli Cosulich’s Methanol Dual-Fuel Tech

The Italian maritime firm Fratelli Cosulich has placed an order for its inaugural methanol dual-fuel chemical bunker tanker. This venture is supported by the commodity trading company Trafigura and maritime tycoon John Fredriksen. Scheduled for construction at Taizhou Maple Leaf Shipbuilding in China, the vessel, with a deadweight tonnage of 7,990, will have the capability to transport both green methanol and biofuels.

The tanker, featuring a capacity of 8,000 cubic meters, is slated for delivery in Singapore in the final quarter of 2025. It will operate under a time charter agreement with Trafigura and will serve to supply bunkers for TFG Marine, a joint venture that encompasses Trafigura, Fredriksen's Frontline, and the Golden Ocean Group.

The operational and technical management of this vessel for TFG Marine will be the responsibility of Fratelli Cosulich Bunkers Singapore.

Green methanol is increasingly seen as a viable future fuel for bunkering, with the global order book for methanol-powered ships expanding. Many maritime companies are integrating methanol into their decarbonization plans. In anticipation of these emerging bunkering requirements, the Port of Singapore is proactively preparing to assure a steady methanol supply starting in 2025.

Guido Cardullo, the head of business development at Fratelli Cosulich Group, underscored the company's commitment to a diversified fuel future, stating, “We believe in a multi-fuel future and this is an additional important step by our Group in that direction, after having built two LNG bunker vessels. With this important investment, the Group wants to reaffirm its commitment to decarbonization.”

Kenneth Dam, the head of bunkering at TFG Marine, highlighted the vessel's bespoke design, which includes strict safety measures enabling continuous methanol power. He noted, “The vessel has been designed to our technical specifications, including stringent safety considerations, so that it can be continually powered by methanol. Delivery of the vessel in the last quarter of 2025 should coincide with growing demand for methanol as a bunker fuel from shipowners.”