Genoa, Italy | October 22, 2025 – Fratelli Cosulich Marine Energy proudly marks another key milestone in its ongoing fleet expansion with the keel laying of the Lucia Cosulich, held on October 9, 2025, at the Taizhou Maple Leaf Shipyard in China. This ceremony follows the successful steel cutting earlier this year and represents the moment the vessel’s structure begins to take shape, symbolizing a tangible step toward realizing a new generation of safe, efficient, and methanol-ready bunker tankers.
Engineering a Future-Ready Vessel
The Lucia Cosulich is a 7,999 DWT IMO Type II chemical bunker tanker, the second in a strategic series of four sister vessels fully prepared to handle methanol, a low-carbon alternative fuel rapidly gaining prominence in the maritime sector. The vessel is designed to meet evolving international regulatory requirements, including those set by the Maritime and Port Authority (MPA), ensuring safe and environmentally responsible fuel handling and bunkering operations.
Key features of Lucia Cosulich include:
- Integrated Nitrogen Generator System – providing inert gas for enhanced cargo tank safety, mitigating the risks associated with low-flashpoint fuels such as methanol.
- Complete Methanol Bunkering Setup – equipped with Quick Connect/Disconnect (QCDC) couplings, dedicated transfer lines, and advanced monitoring and control systems for secure, efficient, and precise fuel transfer.
- Phenolic Epoxy-Coated Cargo Tanks – offering superior chemical resistance and corrosion protection, enabling greater cargo flexibility and faster turnaround times between operations.
The vessel’s design excellence and technical sophistication ensure operational efficiency, adaptability to the emerging alternative fuel market, and compliance with the highest global safety and environmental standards.
Keel Laying: A Milestone of Craftsmanship and Vision
The keel laying ceremony represents more than a construction milestone; it is a celebration of vision, engineering, and craftsmanship coming together. It signifies the point at which the vessel begins its transformation from a blueprint into a fully realized asset ready to serve the evolving needs of the marine energy industry.
“The keel laying of Lucia Cosulich reflects our commitment to building vessels that are not only technologically advanced but also aligned with the global push toward cleaner fuels,” shared Fratelli Cosulich Marine Energy. “Each step in our newbuilding program reinforces our dedication to safer, more sustainable marine operations and positions us as a leader in the energy transition.”
Strengthening a Future-Fuel-Ready Fleet
As part of Fratelli Cosulich’s ongoing newbuilding program, the Lucia Cosulich will join a growing fleet of future-fuel-ready bunker tankers, reflecting the Group’s strategic investments in sustainable marine energy solutions. With enhanced capabilities for methanol handling, these vessels will play a pivotal role in enabling ship operators to meet decarbonization targets while maintaining operational excellence.
Operating alongside sister vessels in key bunkering hubs worldwide, the Marine Energy division continues to provide high-quality, safe, and traceable fuel solutions, supporting the industry’s shift toward low-carbon and alternative fuels. The addition of Lucia Cosulich underscores Fratelli Cosulich’s long-term vision: expanding fleet resilience, advancing environmental stewardship, and driving the maritime industry toward a cleaner, more efficient future.
About Fratelli Cosulich Group
Founded in 1857, the Fratelli Cosulich Group has grown into a global maritime powerhouse, with over 130 companies across 27 countries in Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Still family-owned and operated by its seventh generation, the Group encompasses 14 business units ranging from shipping and logistics to technology, catering, and manning, offering comprehensive services across the maritime value chain.
About Fratelli Cosulich Marine Energy
Established in 1969, Fratelli Cosulich Marine Energy is a trusted leader in global marine fuels, specializing in bunker trading, physical supply, shipowning, ship management, and alternative fuel solutions. Operating through 11 international offices with a team of over 100 professionals, the division provides high-quality bunker fuel supply in key ports such as Singapore and Genoa, underpinned by ISCC Certification for sustainability and traceability in biofuels.
With ongoing investments in methanol-ready vessels and the expansion of its Small-Scale LNG fleet, Fratelli Cosulich Marine Energy remains at the forefront of the global energy transition, delivering safe, efficient, and environmentally responsible solutions for the maritime industry.
Source: Fratelli Cosulich Marine Energy