Cargill has ordered two methanol ships for its large dry cargo fleet, namely two so-called kamsarmax vessels in partnership with Japanese Mitsui & Co., writes the Swiss trading company in a statement.

The ships will be built at Tsuineshi Shipbuilding in Japan and are set for delivery in Q4 2025 and Q1 2026.

“We have ended the ‘chicken and egg’ debate by ordering two methanol duel-fueled bulk carrier vessels,” says Jan Dieleman, president of Cargill Ocean Transportation, the trading company’s shipping firm.

Dieleman is also the chair of Sea Cargo Charter, an organization of ship charterers reporting CO₂ emissions from their fleets in order to bring emission levels on line with the IMO’s provisional goal of a 50-percent reduction by 2050.

“I believe shipping will need to move to zero carbon fuels to meet its decarbonization goals. Methanol offers one such pathway. It is the most technologically ready of the zero carbon options and we wanted to do something now to move the industry forward,” states Dieleman in relation to the commissioning.

English edit: Kristoffer Grønbæk