The Maritime Technologies Forum has issued a 41-page safety-management framework for methanol-fuelled ships as owners advance alternative-fuel projects before global rules are finalised, according to the Maritime Technologies Forum.
Issued in Tokyo on 3 July, the document follows Part A of the International Safety Management Code and covers 12 areas, including company responsibility, personnel, shipboard operations, emergency preparedness, maintenance, documentation and audits. It can be used to create a new Safety Management System or strengthen an existing one.
The framework builds on IMO interim guidelines for ships using methyl or ethyl alcohol as fuel, approved in 2020 and still under revision. It addresses methanol’s toxicity, low flashpoint, wide flammability range, vapour dispersion, corrosivity and material compatibility. Methanol vapour is invisible and its flame can be difficult to see in daylight, potentially requiring thermal-imaging equipment.
The report puts methanol’s flashpoint at 12°C and its volumetric energy density at 15.8 gigajoules per cubic metre, against 36.6 gigajoules per cubic metre for marine gas oil. A methanol-fuelled vessel may therefore need about 2.4 times more fuel-storage volume than a comparable ship using marine gas oil.
MTF recommends structured risk assessments, scenario-based crew exercises and contingency plans for leaks, spills and combustion incidents. Safety systems should cover mixed-fuel operations and safe changeovers between methanol and conventional fuels. Training and competency requirements should reflect each employee’s role, while lessons from accidents, hazardous occurrences, near misses, audits and port- or flag-state inspections should be incorporated quickly into procedures and shared across fleets.
“While IMO regulatory discussions continue, many ship owners and operators are already moving ahead with alternative fuel retrofits and newbuilds,” Lloyd’s Register chief executive Nick Brown said. “For those choosing methanol, these guidelines provide practical recommendations to ensure safety management systems appropriately reflect its characteristics as a fuel.”
Capt M. Segar, chief marine officer and senior adviser at the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, said: “It serves as a practical reference for companies developing or strengthening their Safety Management Systems for ships using methanol as fuel.”
MTF is a forum of flag-state administrations and classification societies. Its members include Japan’s Maritime Bureau, the Norwegian Maritime Authority, the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, ABS, DNV, Lloyd’s Register and ClassNK. IMO is the United Nations agency responsible for global shipping regulation. Lloyd’s Register, ABS, DNV and ClassNK are classification societies; the other MTF members are national maritime administrations or regulators.