Lloyd's Register (LR) has partnered with German ship design and consultancy SDC Ship Design and Consult (SDC) to develop a new concept that replaces the isolation tanks around methanol storage tanks with ballast tanks, thus providing more space for methanol fuelling technology.
For the technology of retrofitting armor alcohol on existing ships, the concept envisages the ability to retrofit ships without depleting storage space, without the need for a custom in accordance with MSC1/circ.The requirements of 1621 were to have isolation compartments around the fuel tanks.
It is understood that the isolation compartment has a large footprint on the ship, the purpose of which is to prevent the direct leakage of loads between adjacent tanks to other areas. If the ship is equipped with an isolation cabin, it will either increase the size of the ship or take up more space on the ship that can be used more optimally, and accordingly increase the ship's fuel consumption.
In contrast, the innovative concept developed by LR and SDC is expected to significantly reduce the potential for cross-contamination by strengthening tank boundaries through thorough welding processes, stricter quality control, and additional safety measures.
In line with the requirements of the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) Interim Guidance on the Safety of Ships Using Methanol and Ethanol as Fuel, this concept is expected to provide efficient ship design for a wide range of ship types. The concept applies to both newbuilding and converted vessels and sets clear design requirements based on the design and layout of the specific ship type.