RINA grants AiP for methanol-ready engine

Italian classification society, RINA, has awarded an Approval in Principle (AiP) to MAN Energy Solutions for its methanol-ready, four-stroke 32/44CR engine. The AiP relates to possible conversion of the engine so that it can become a dual-fuel unit capable of using methanol as well as conventional fuel. 

Methanol is gaining support as a marine fuel of the future for several reasons, MAN said in a statement. It is a liquid at ambient temperature and pressure and therefore easy to handle; its emissions are lower than conventional fuels; it can be carbon-neutral if synthesised with green hydrogen; and it is much less hazardous to marine life than conventional fuels, the company added. For this reason, the AiP permits the use of outer ship hulls as bunker tanks, thereby increasing fuel storage capacity.

The classification society’s Patrizio Di Francesco, EMEA Special Projects Manager, commented: "This AiP is based on our recently published Methyl Alcohol Fuelled Ready notation. Methanol is a fuel with a lot of potential as a clean, carbon-neutral fuel, and the industry is already showing concrete appreciation of it. The successful cooperation with MAN is a further step towards the availability of future-proof solutions for shipowners."

Elvis Ettenhofer, head of New Marine Solutions at the engine company, said: "This approval by RINA is significant as we move towards net zero. A major advantage of our four-stroke portfolio is its inherent retrofit potential, which enables us to provide shipowners with cost-effective solutions and flexibility regarding future fuels. In this latter respect, there is no doubt but that interest in methanol is growing and that it will have a prominent role to play within shipping."