Plan to build methanol-fuelled ships for US-China project

Project involves construction of US methanol plants and feedstock transportation between Louisiana and northern China.

The methanol-powered tanker Mari Jone. Image credit: Waterfront Shipping

Updated on 16 Mar 2018 17:15 GMT

IGP Methanol (IGP), China Cosco Shipping Energy Transportation and Jinguotou (Dalian) Development Co., Ltd (JGT) plan to discuss the feasibility of building methanol-powered ships for a new project involving the transportation of methanol between the US and China. The three companies signed a 'Memorandum of Understanding on US Gulf Coast Methanol Project Cooperation' (MoU) in Shangai, where they agreed to cooperate on the construction of up to two methanol plants in IGP Methanol's Gulf Coast Methanol Park in Louisiana that would supply feedstock for Jinguotou's methanol-to-olefins (MTO) facility at the port of Jinzhou, China. Each of the plants will have a capacity of 1.8 million tonnes of methanol per year. IGP Methanol chairman James Lamoureaux, said: "IGP is pleased to begin this cooperation with internationally esteemed logistics company COSCO and JGT. The project will assure long-term stable and low-priced pure methanol for JGT's MTO projects as well as supply ultra-clean fuels to China, from abundant US natural gas resources."