New guidelines target safer methanol-fuelled shipping

The Maritime Technologies Forum has published new guidelines to help shipping companies develop and strengthen safety management systems for vessels running on methanol, one of the fastest-scaling alternative marine fuels.

Methanol’s toxicity, low flashpoint and its invisible vapour and flame bring safety challenges that call for tighter procedural controls, the guidance notes. It sets out a four-element concept — segregation, double barriers, leak detection and automatic isolation of any leak.

The guidelines also call for structured risk assessments, fuel-tank and bunkering safeguards, inert-gas systems for tank ullage, and clear crew-training and documentation requirements to keep pace with a growing methanol-capable fleet.