Methanol dual-fuel CSOV christened in the Netherlands

Dutch offshore support vessel owner Acta Marine has formally christened its methanol dual-fuel offshore wind vessel Acta Hercules.

The construction service operation vessel (CSOV) was christened in IJmuiden, the Netherlands ahead of a five-year charter with Vestas at an undisclosed offshore wind farm site.

The vessel combines methanol-capable engines with battery energy storage, offering an alternative to conventional marine-fuelled propulsion with a battery system that provides additional flexibility in managing onboard power demand.

The contribution of both technologies to efficiency and emissions will depend on the vessel’s operating profile and the fuel used.

Four months ago, Acta Marine delivered another methanol-ready CSOV, the third in a series of four newbuilds for offshore wind construction and operations and maintenance activities.

Acta Gemini has methanol dual-fuel main engines and is described by the company as ‘methanol ready’, reflecting wider efforts within the offshore support vessel sector to try out different fuels as regulatory requirements evolve.

Methanol is slowly gaining ground in the propulsion of large vessels, but is still fledgling when it comes to workboats.

In 2024, the EU funded a so-called FASTWATER project to demonstrate the potential of methanol by converting a tugboat at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges into the world’s first methanol-powered tug.

Methatug is still operating at the port, although she is not necessarily running on methanol every day.