Danish energy company Orsted has reached an agreement with vessel operator Esvagt for the supply of a second methanol-powered service operational vessel (SOV), following the development of the world's first methanol-powered SOV by the same collaboration last year.
The SOV will be ready for launch in 2026, where it will operate out of Orsted's UK East Coast Hub on a 10-year contract. According to the statement, the new SOV will run on dual-fuel engines. Orsted expects to supply its own methanol for both SOVs, which will comprise green e-methanol to be supplied from its 50,000 t/yr FlagshipONE facility in Sweden. Orsted expects its methanol supply to be ready by 2025.
Orsted said the vessel will run on a split of "roughly 95pc methanol and 5pc non-methanol, and we will work to make the remaining 5pc as green as possible". The vessel is expected to have a gross tonnage of 7,500t.
