Japan-based shipping company Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) and a group of partners have completed the country’s first ship-to-ship (STS) methanol bunkering at anchorage for an in-service vessel, carried out in the Yokohama district of Keihin Port.
The operation on February 6 saw methanol transferred from the coastal tanker Eika Maru, operated by Kokuka Sangyo, to the dual-fuel methanol carrier Kohzan Maru VII, operated by MOL. Both vessels are chartered by Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company (MGC).
The project involved MOL, the City of Yokohama, Kokuka Sangyo, Idemitsu Kosan and MGC. The fuel supplied included domestically produced biomethanol from MGC’s Niigata plant, which is planned for use in the vessel’s future operations.
Methanol is gaining traction as a marine fuel due to its lower emissions profile and compatibility with existing fuel infrastructure. Anchorage-based bunkering is widely used for conventional fuels and is expected to become an important supply method for methanol as demand grows.
The operation followed safety and procedural work led by Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and is seen as a milestone in developing methanol bunkering capability in Japan. MOL said insights from the project will support similar operations for other vessels and locations as methanol adoption expands.
