Hafnia and Socatra Take Delivery of Third Methanol-Ready MR Tanker

The third vessel in Hafnia and Socatra’s methanol-capable MR tanker series has joined the fleet, with the delivery of Ecomar Garonne. The 49,800 deadweight tonne (dwt) tanker is part of a four-ship order placed in 2023 and was constructed at Guangzhou Shipyard International in China.

Like its sister vessels, Ecomar Garonne will operate under a long-term charter with French energy firm TotalEnergies. The series of IMO II-class tankers is methanol-ready, designed to support a gradual shift to low-emission fuels.

Earlier in the year, Hafnia and Socatra took delivery of the first two ships in the series, Ecomar Gascogne and Ecomar Guyenne. The latter was delivered with the infrastructure needed to support wind-assisted propulsion. According to Guangzhou Shipyard International, Ecomar Guyenne achieved a 46 percent reduction in carbon emissions during sea trials and exceeded the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) targets set under the International Maritime Organization’s Phase III requirements.

The final vessel in the four-ship order is expected to be delivered in 2026.

The methanol-capable tankers represent a shift in Hafnia’s fleet strategy toward alternative fuels. The dual-fuel configuration allows the vessels to operate on conventional fuels and transition to methanol as supply chains for low-carbon methanol develop further.