Methanol as an alternative fuel for smaller vessels

Interest in methanol as an alternative fuel for meeting emissions requirements continues to grow, and there are currently both a retrofit solution for a large Ro-Pax ferry and chemical tanker newbuilding projects underway. Methanol is also a good alternative for smaller ships operating on coastal and inland waterways, but has yet to be tested in these applications. SSPA is coordinator of a the project, “Sustainable Marine Methanol” (SUMMETH), which is focused on developing methanol solutions for smaller vessels.

Smaller vessels often operate on coastal and inland waterways close to populated areas, and have an impact on air quality in these areas. Emission-reduction solutions for these vessels mostly involve switching to a cleaner conventional distillate fuel, as commercial marine engines for alcohols such as methanol are not yet available in the smaller engine segment. One of the main goals of the SUMMETH project is to test and evaluate different methanol combustion concepts in a laboratory and to identify the best alternatives for the smaller marine engine segment. The work is focused on engines with power up to about 1200 kW and both Otto and diesel combustion concepts will be considered. The Stena Germanica project demonstrated that large engines (6000 kW) can be successfully converted to run on methanol. The SUMMETH project aims to show that this can also be done for smaller engines and vessels.

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