Estonia-based SRC’s methanol storage concept gets ClassNK nod

Classification society Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK) has granted approval in principle for a methanol fuel tank concept developed by marine retrofit specialist SRC Group (SRC).

IMAGE: Conceptual blueprint of SRC methanol storage fitted on a ship compared to traditional methanol storage. SRC

Methanol’s low-volumetric density requires ships to burn twice as much fuel to generate the same amount of energy as VLSFO.

In addition, low-flashpoint fuels like methanol must be stored in enclosed spaces called cofferdams to prevent fires or contamination caused by accidental fuel leaks.

But cofferdams typically extend at least 600 mm, which can reduce the usable capacity of methanol storage tanks.

As a solution, SRC has developed a methanol storage concept that can be retrofitted into existing fuel storage tanks with a few modifications.

IMAGE: Sandwich Plate Technology used in the design of the storage concept. SRC

SRC’s storage concept is based on a technology called the “Sandwich Plate System” in which two metal plates are bonded with an elastomer core. An elastomer core is a synthetic polymer having elastic properties.

The elastomer acts as a synthetic, impact-resistant barrier that removes the need for cofferdams and allows the use of over 85% of a fuel tank’s volume for methanol, compared with far lower utilisation in conventional designs.

“A Methanol Superstorage tank delivers almost twice the fuel storage volume of a traditional tank, while the SPS provides a triple barrier for fire protection, leak prevention and higher impact protection,” SRC explained.

The concept has already secured approvals from RINA and Lloyd’s Register in the past couple of years, adding ClassNK to the list of classification societies backing the design.

By Konica Bhatt

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