Shipping company Terntank has secured a grant agreement with the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) for the eMETHANOLxWSolution, a project demonstrating a combination of foldable suction sails and a dual-fuel engine.
As explained, the project will demonstrate a combination of foldable suction sails and a dual-fuel engine on the first Hybrid Solution Plus series vessel , designed to fit one of the first coastal tankers in Europe using e-methanol as a main energy source in its operations.
This is expected to result in significant annual emission avoidance compared to a newbuild tanker, with an annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions avoidance of more than 44 tCO2e.
A conventional two-stroke diesel engine in Terntank’s newbuild vessel which will be delivered in March 2025 will be converted to a dual-fuel engine, which can run both on (e-)methanol and diesel. Development of the dual-fuel engine is ongoing, and the conversion will be made in 2026.
In addition, suction wing sails technology will be demonstrated for the first time on a tanker vessel, enabling the best possible optimization of the system, and increasing the energy efficiency of the vessel, Terntank said.
The project aims to start operation with e-methanol and wind assistance in January 2027.
Following the demonstration of the eMETHANOLxWSolution project, the shipowner plans to scale the technology to other Hybrid Solution Plus series vessels. A high scalability potential relies on both clean technologies onboard different types of cargo ships on new buildings and existing fleet, Terntank said.