Hercules Tanker Management (HTM), the shipping firm established by Peninsula owner John Bassadone, has launched the maiden voyage of a new tanker capable of both transporting and supplying conventional and alternative marine fuels.

The vessel, Hercules Vanessa, is the latest addition to HTM's 10-vessel ultra-spec series, which forms part of the company's fleet renewal programme, the company announced in a LinkedIn post yesterday.

The tanker is able to handle fuels including B100 and methanol, and has been designed to improve efficiency and reduce emissions. B100 denotes pure biodiesel with no fossil blending, while methanol is among the alternative fuels gaining traction in shipping as the industry works toward the International Maritime Organization's target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping by around 2050. Hercules Vanessa is also the first vessel in the series to feature MarineLINE cargo tank coating, a coating used to protect cargo tanks and help maintain fuel quality during transport.

The ship is currently sailing to Port Louis to take on bunkers and provisions before continuing towards Cape Town. It is carrying a biofuel cargo loaded at Nansha Terminal in China, with discharge of the cargo scheduled in Ghent later this year. The voyage from a Chinese loading terminal to a European discharge port illustrates the long-haul trade routes on which alternative fuel cargoes are increasingly moving as demand for lower-emission marine fuels grows.