X-Press Feeders, the world’s largest independent common carrier, launched its second green methanol-powered route, the Green Baltic X-PRESS (GBX). It is part of Europe’s first scheduled feeder network powered by green methanol.

This expansion follows the successful launch of the Green Finland X-PRESS (GFX) in July and marks another milestone in the company’s commitment to sustainable shipping.

The Green Baltic X-PRESS (GBX) began operations on 23 August, offering services between the following ports:

Rotterdam > Antwerp-Bruges > Klaipeda > Riga > Rotterdam

The introduction of the GBX route was made possible because X-Press Feeders has received a third dual-fuel ship, the Eco-Umande. This vessel joins Eco-Maestro and Eco-Levant as part of the company’s dual-fuel vessels capable of operating on green methanol. Each vessel has a nominal capacity of 1,260 TEU.

The Eco-Umande is the first methanol dual-fuel retrofit container ship. The ship was initially designed with a methanol fuel reserve（ready). However, due to the rapid advancement of decarbonization and marine methanol fuel, the owner decided to retrofit the vessel for dual-fuel capability upon delivery. The retrofit project was contracted by SUMEC Marine to Pacific Ocean Engineering (Zhoushan) Co., Ltd.

The Eco-Umande measures 148 meters in length, 27.2 meters in width, and 14.3 meters in depth. It is equipped with a MAN Energy Solutions 5S50ME methanol dual-fuel engine.

X-Press Feeders’ new feeder network is powered by green methanol, a sustainable marine fuel that reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 65%, in terms of main engine propulsion, when using green methanol instead of conventional fuels. Green methanol is a renewable energy source produced from the decomposition of organic matter, such as waste and residues. The green methanol that X-Press Feeders is using is independently certified in Europe under ISCC (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification).

The launch of the GBX route is particularly timely as the EU’s emissions trading scheme (ETS) for maritime shipping came into effect on 1 January this year, encouraging shippers to adopt more sustainable practices. Additionally, the Fuel EU Maritime regulations are set to begin in January 2025 and will require a reduction in the greenhouse gas emission intensity of energy used on board ships.

The Port of Rotterdam will serve as the initial base for this network due to its infrastructure and capability to handle green methanol refueling. The company has also signed a MOU with the ports of: Antwerp Bruges, Klaipeda in Lithuania, Riga in Latvia, Tallinn in Estonia, Helsinki and HaminaKotka in Finland to promote shipping powered by green methanol.

X-Press Feeders currently has 14 methanol dual-fuel container ships ordered from various shipyards in China.