ISO publishes international standard for methanol as a marine fuel

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has recently published the first edition of the international standard for methanol as marine fuel, ISO 6583:2024.

As the convenor of ISO/TC28/SC4/WG18, Monique Vermeire, announced the publication, which covers general requirements and specifications for methanol being used as a marine fuel.

“While methanol is being globally traded based on the International Methanol Producers and Consumers Association (IMPCA) reference specifications, there was no international standard specifically for methanol used as marine fuel,” Vermeire, who is also a Fuels Specialist at Chevron, said in a social media post.

Vermeire added the ISO 6583:2024 addresses this gap by setting the requirements and limits for three methanol grades for marine: MMA, MMB and MMC – marine methanol grades A, B and C. 

“We used the IMPCA specifications as a starting point, with some properties less critical for marine and other fuel related aspects not covered,” she said.

“Grade MMC allows for wider tolerances in certain characteristics compared to MMB, while MMA includes additional requirements for lubricity and cleanliness.”

According to the sample of the standard, the document defines the general requirements and specifications for methanol from all forms of production at the point of custody transfer, prior to any onboard required treatment, for use as fuel in marine diesel engines, fuel cells and other marine applications. 

The specifications in this document can also be applied to methanol used as fuel in land-based applications of the same or similar type as those used for marine purposes.

Note: The ISO 6583:2024 standard can be purchased here or from any national standardisation organisation.

Related: ISO to develop standard for methyl/ethyl alcohol fuels
Related: Methanol Institute gives nod to ISO spec review at IMO

Photo credit: Louis Reed from Unsplash
Published: 21 November, 2024