Seabulk ATB makes first methanol delivery
Written by Marine Log Staff
Seabulk Tankers, Inc. a subsidiary of SEACOR Holdings Inc. (NYSE: CKH), today reported the successful delivery of its first methanol parcel chemical shipment aboard the articulated tug-barge (ATB) Sea-Power/Sea-Chem I.
The Sea-Power/Sea-Chem I loaded a 10,500 metric ton methanol parcel in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and discharged the parcel in Charleston, S.C., and Chesapeake, Va.
The vessel can load up to 30,000 metric tons of cargo into eleven segregations and is equipped with stainless steel cargo piping and MarineLINE 784 cargo tank coating. According to Seabulk, it is “one of the most modern, fuel efficient, and capable chemical parcel vessels in the Jones Act fleet today.’
Seabulk President, Daniel Thorogood said, “This is an exciting time for U.S. producers of methanol and other chemicals as low-cost natural gas has created an opportunity to expand domestic production.” Industry experts believe that by 2024 total U.S. methanol production capacity could increase by as much as 70 percent or more from 6.8 million metric tons in 20181.
Methanol is a liquid chemical produced from conventional fossil sources as well as sustainable raw materials like biomass, industrial waste, and carbon dioxide and is used in thousands of everyday products, such as plastics, paints, resins, and polyester. It is also used as an alternative transportation fuel and blended into gasoline to enhance combustion efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Seabulk is committed to supporting the growth of the domestic methanol industry and, with it, the rise of U.S. coastwise trade. Seabulk says it “will continue to service producers and end-users with its highly capable fleet of equipment and experienced marine personnel.”
