- SRC Methanol Superstorage Technology has secured Approval in Principle (AiP) from leading classification society RINA.
- The comprehensive AiP confirms that the highly space efficient methanol and ethanol fuel storage solution complies with RINA’s Guide for AiP of Novel Technologies.
Class society RINA has granted Approval in Principle (AiP) to SRC Group’s Methanol Superstorage Technology, reads an official release.
Approval in Principle for Methanol Superstorage
In a statement issued, RINA highlighted that while methanol is ‘relatively simple to handle and store’, its lower energy density compared to traditional heavy fuel oil (HFO) ‘presents challenges’ for ship design and operational range.
Existing regulations, noted the class society, require a cofferdam structure between tank walls, which ‘significantly reduces’ usable storage volume onboard.
‘By replacing the conventional cofferdam with a 25mm thick Sandwich Plate System (SPS), an elastomer core sealed between two steel plates, the technology delivers a triple-barrier containment solution that offers up to 85% more fuel volume within the same footprint,’ RINA said.
Th AiP reflects the latest rules for ship classification and incorporates IMO’s interim guidelines (MSC.1/Circ.1621) as well as updates to the International Code of Safety for Ships Using Gases or Other Low-Flashpoint Fuels (IGF Code).
‘The approval confirms that SRC’s system ensures an equivalent level of safety to existing requirements, while significantly improving storage efficiency across multiple ship types,’ said RINA.
The AiP also affirms the design’s compatibility with methanol and ethanol fuels, including the technical acceptance of key structural features such as perimeter bar connections.
‘This development provides stakeholders with a high degree of confidence that the solution can be implemented without regulatory barriers during the detailed design phase,’ said RINA.
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Source: RINA
