2 February 2024 (Lloyd's List) - EVERGREEN has tied up a deal to use X-Press Feeders upcoming methanol-fuel feeder services, which are expected to commence from the second quarter of the year.

The initial service, which will use X-Press Feeders soon to be delivered newbuilding — the 950 teu Eco Maestro (IMO: 9959541), will operate between Rotterdam, Scandinavia and the Baltic Sea.

The agreement is set to be expanded to cover the Mediterranean region.

X-Press Feeders has 14 dual-fuel newbuildings on order that were contracted from China’s New Dayang Shipbuilding in 2021.

Evergreen has been an important client of Singapore-based, third-party feeder operator X-Press Feeders for many years, including for services within northern Europe. 

“We are pioneering the use of dual-fuel vessels and we decided to take delivery of our vessels sooner, rather than later because we know we need to take significant steps today to meet the targets for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions,” said X-Press Feeders chief operating officer Francis Goh.

The company said that it has signed a firm contract with Dutch fuel supplier OCI Global for the supply of green methanol but did not reveal the supply volume. 

The green methanol supplied by OCI Global will be bio-methanol produced from the decomposition of organic matter and is ISCC-EU (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification) certified, X-Press Feeders said.

The inclusion of dual-fuel vessels powered by green methanol is crucial for X-Press Feeders’ commitment to reducing their GHG emissions by 20% by 2035, 50% by 2040 and achieving net zero emissions by 2050.

With a fleet of 81 vessels, X-Press Feeders is ranked as the 14th-largest container shipping company by Alphaliner’s Top 100 list.