SRC’s methanol fuel storage system gets RINA nod

Italian classification society RINA has approved a methanol fuel storage system developed by marine and offshore engineering firm SRC.

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

The system is designed to help shipowners use methanol and ethanol as bunker fuels without sacrificing the limited storage space available onboard ships.

Methanol presents a clear pathway for shipping to decarbonise. However, due to its lower energy density compared to heavy fuel oil, a methanol tank must hold about 2.4 times more fuel to produce the same energy - affecting vessel range and design.

SRC’s storage system replaces the conventional cofferdam arrangement with a solid elastomer core sandwiched between two steel plates, creating a triple barrier against leakage, the company said.

A cofferdam is a void space between compartments that prevents leakage and contamination, while an elastomer is a polymer material that can stretch and return to its original shape.

The approval confirms that the storage system “has proper capability to achieve equivalent level of safety to prescriptive requirements and improve the utilization rate of space as required for methanol and ethanol fuel storage onboard different ship types.”

The system “offers significant potential as an enabler for adopting methanol as a marine fuel,” said RINA North Asia’s vice president Simone Manca.

By Tuhin Roy

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