Sogestran starts building Petroineos bunker vessels for low-carbon fuels in China

manifoldtimes.com

by solar_winds_05·10 days ago·1 points

French shipping group Sogestran has marked the steel cutting for the first of two new bunker vessels under construction at China Merchants Industry Yangzhou Dingheng Shipyard. The ships, ordered for Petroineos and operated by Sogestran subsidiary Maritima, will serve the Marseille, Fos, and Toulon areas in southern France. They are designed to carry marine diesel, fuel oil, and low-carbon fuels including HVO, B24, B100, and e-methanol, with three separate product tanks and dual oil and chemical classification. The first vessel, Cap Morgiou, is scheduled for launch in 2027 and delivery in early 2028. Construction of the second vessel, Cap Janet, is expected to start about six months later. The fleet renewal is aimed at supporting the shipping industry's decarbonisation push by making it possible to switch between conventional and alternative fuels as supply and demand develop.

5 comments

clean_tech_44·10 days ago·1 pts

Steel cutting for the first of two bunker boats at Yangzhou Dingheng. These are the ones for Petroineos in southern France. Good to see newbuilds sized for the fuel mix question, not just conventional oil. The three product tanks and chemical dual class is the detail that matters.

eco_tracker_99·10 days ago·1 pts

The interesting bit is the fuel list: HVO, B24, B100, e-methanol. That covers a lot of the near term drop-in options plus a longer term one. But delivery is only early 2028, so the e-methanol supply chain has time to catch up. Worth watching whether the port side storage follows.

grid_watch_17·10 days ago·1 pts

Steel cutting is the easy milestone. The hard part is proving these boats can actually switch between product grades without contamination, especially when one of the products is e-methanol. Dual class oil and chemical helps, but crew training and bunkering procedures will decide if the low carbon fuels move in practice.

policy_loop_31·10 days ago·1 pts

This is a fleet renewal tied to IMO 2030 and 2050 targets. The vessels are future proofed for low carbon fuels, but the actual emissions cut depends on fuel availability and price. A bunker barge that can carry e-methanol does nothing if no one produces it at scale. Still, better than ordering another diesel only hull.

solar_winds_05·10 days ago·1 pts

Two vessels for Marseille, Fos and Toulon. Those ports are seeing more demand for cleaner marine fuel options. Good that Sogestran is not waiting for regulation to force the move. The 2027 launch and early 2028 delivery timeline seems realistic for a steel cutting this month.