X-Press Feeders launches new shipping network in Europe

Singapore-based liner company X-Press Feeders has started Europe’s first scheduled feeder network in which the vessels are powered by green methanol, a sustainable marine fuel that reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 65 per cent. The launch of the new service coincided with the naming and christening ceremony of the company’s first dual-fuel methanol-powered vessel.

Eco-Maestro is the first of 14 dual-fuel vessels X-Press Feeders has on order. The company plans to deploy these vessels mostly on routes in Europe, creating Europe’s first feeder network powered by green methanol.

The initiative coincides with the EU’s upcoming implementation of an emissions trading scheme (ETS) for maritime shipping. Fuel EU Maritime regulations starting in January 2025 will also mandate the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission intensity on energy used on board ships.

X-Press Feeders said green bio-methanol is a more sustainable fuel because it is a renewable energy source produced from the decomposition of organic matter, such as waste and residues. The company is using green methanol that is independently certified in Europe under International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC).

X-Press Feeders Chief Operating Officer Francis Goh said the company chose northern Europe for the first routes in the network. This is because customers in this part of Europe were most receptive to plans for sustainable shipping.

The company chose the Port of Rotterdam as the base for Europe’s first feeder network powered by green methanol because Rotterdam is Europe’s largest port and is fully equipped to handle green methanol refuelling. Eco Maestro is the first to join the network while the second dual-fuel vessel will join by the third quarter of 2024.