VESSEL REFIT | Haigang Zhiyuan – Chemical tanker re-enters service as China’s first methanol bunkering ship

Zhoushan Putuo Changhong Shipyard in China has completed conversion works on a locally-owned chemical tanker to enable it to operate as a bunkering vessel that will serve ships running on methanol.

Haigang Zhiyuan (海港致远) is classed by China Classification Society (CCS), which said the vessel is the first methanol bunkering ship to be put into operation in China as well as the largest methanol bunkering ship in the world. The vessel boasts an LOA of 139.98 metres (459.25 feet), a beam of 20.2 metres (66.27 feet), a draught of 6.4 metres (21 feet), a depth of 11.2 metres (36.74 feet), a deadweight tonnage of 11,000, and 12 cargo tanks with a total capacity of 16,000 cubic metres (565,030 cubic feet) of green methanol.

The vessel itself is powered by a dual-fuel propulsion system that can operate on either methanol or conventional fuel oil.

Responding to the methanol fuel trend

The conversion of the former Jiuli 668 for the bunkering role was undertaken in anticipation of the growing use of methanol as an alternative marine fuel due to its significantly lower CO2 emissions compared to traditional fuel oils. Design work for the conversion was provided by local naval architecture firms Zhejiang Seahead Ship Design and Research Institute (Seahead) and Nantong Offshore Design and Research Institute (NODRI).

The conversion works spanned 113 days and included incorporation of the necessary modifications to the existing deck structure, replacement of the existing refuelling pipe with a heavy-duty, stainless steel pipe, installation of equipment that can produce nitrogen (necessary for safe methanol bunkering), installation of remote monitoring and control systems (ensuring proper oversight even when no crew are present near the bunkering connections), incorporation of emergency release devices, and lining of the cargo tanks with a special coating to permit the safe transport of methanol.

Improving safety and efficiency in methanol bunkering

Qiyao Power Company provided the vessel’s CCS-certified emergency cut-off control system, which will enable the crew to monitor the entire bunkering process and to initiate emergency cut-off and other relevant actions when necessary, so as to further ensure the safety of ships and personnel.

Advanced Polymer Coatings’ IMO-approved patented coating was used for the cargo tanks and Manntek provided the fuel transfer system. The vessel’s hoses are from Dantec.

As with other modern bunkering vessels, Haigang Zhiyuan can perform both ship-to-ship (STS) transfers and supply of liquid cargo to terminals and other fixed facilities. The vessel is also capable of safe STS bunkering of other methanol-fuelled ships even as they are loading and unloading cargo. This key capability ensures faster turnarounds, thus significantly improving the efficiency of cargo operations in port.

Haigang Zhiyuan has already begun regular operations out of the Port of Shanghai under SIPG Energy Service (SSES), though ownership of the rebuilt vessel will remain with SSES’ parent company the Shanghai International Port Group. The methanol bunkering vessel will primarily serve containerships that visit the port, which also recently became the first port in China capable of green methanol STS bunkering.