Renewable methanol offers a long term solution for the passenger shipping industry’s carbon emission reduction strategy, the findings of the MethaShip research project showed.
The MethaShip partners found that methanol can offer a dramatic improvement in emissions reduction across multiple ship types once the IMO has established the statutory framework conditions necessary for an industry-wide reduction of CO2 emissions.
Methanol is a clear, water-soluble, biodegradable fluid and in contrast to other alternative fuels such as LNG, it offers the crucial advantage of being very easy to handle.
In addition to its potential for long term emissions reduction, the easier storage and transport properties are a strong driver behind the growing interest in using methanol as a fuel for shipping.
The research project brought together partners from shipbuilding, classification, engine manufacturing and methanol production to investigate the potential of methanol as a fuel for cruise ships and RoRo passenger ferries. It included development of a potential cruise ship design featuring seven integrated storage tanks made of coated conventional mild steel.
