LR awards AiP for space-efficient methanol storage solution

The AiP from LR signifes that no major conceptual issues have been identified as standing in the way of its securing classification approval and regulatory compliance.

The solution, Methanol Superstorage, is a potential solution to issues relating to methanol storage on board vessels. In particular, the lower energy density of methanol compared with conventional fuels, such as HSFO, impacts operational range. This requirement for increased fuel storage capacity is particularly acute in retrofits, because low flashpoint fuel tanks conventionally require cofferdams.

Although space penalties can be addressed in newbuild ship design, existing tonnage was not designed with future retrofits to methanol-fuelled operation in mind. SRC Group’s Methanol Superstorage avoids cofferdams by constructing tank walls using Sandwich Plate System Technology, in a solution boosting volume by up to 85%. The gain can also be reproduced in retrofit installations, with minimal impact on the general arrangement.

“Due to long-established use in other industries, availability and performance, methanol is the alternative marine fuel offering the strongest potential to reduce ship GHGs at pace,” said Hannes Lilp, CEO, SRC Group. “Methanol Superstorage reinvents methanol storage using the proven SPS Technology system. Instead of a cofferdam which extends to 600mm, the solution uses a 25mm thick SPS barrier to protect the tank from fire and as a triple barrier against leakage.”

The SRC Group is an established Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Installation (EPCI) service provider, with experience in complex maritime and offshore refits extending across over 5,000 projects. The AiP for its supporting design documents opens the way for wider scrutiny of a concept which, subject to statutory approval, would be decisive in making methanol a mainstream fuel for existing ships. 

The SPS Technology Sandwich Plate System is a permanent, A60 fire rating certified structural composite, used in maritime and offshore applications for over two decades and approved by all major IACS class societies across a range of applications.

The AiP from LR relates specifically to ships outlined in Part G of SOLAS Ch. II-1. SRC would deliver EPCI services, fully integrating the new solution “from the bunkering station to the high-pressure pump,” said Lilp.