Global Survival Technology solutions provider Survitec on Wednesday (4 September) has welcomed new guidance from classification society DNV on the fire safety arrangements for methanol-fuelled vessels but advises that more work is required before ships running on methanol can be completely fire-safe.

Findings from a Survitec study carried out earlier this year and published in the white paper Do we need new fire safety standards for methanol?, distributed to industry for the first time at the SMM trade fair in Hamburg, Germany, confirmed existing fire-fighting methods are insufficient for methanol.

“Current water mist-based Local Application Firefighting (LAFF) arrangements, for example, had no effect on a methanol fire even after five minutes of continuous operation,” said Michał Sadzyński, Product Manager, Water Mist Systems, Survitec. “

The safety study conducted by Survitec found two factors were key to putting out a methanol engine room fire: the volume of water released under pressure and the discharge pattern of the water. This required adjustments to the water pump supply and the water mist nozzle's spacing and placement height to achieve the right coverage to completely extinguish the fire.

“While the LAFF system is a localised first-response system that focuses on the most likely source of a fire, generally the engine, a gas-based Total Flooding solution – CO2 or Survitec 1230 Clean Agent – will also be required to cover the entirety of the machinery space,” said Sadzyński.

The firefighting foam typically used to extinguish bilge hydrocarbon fires was also found to be inadequate, even alcohol-resistant foams using conventional nozzles and water:foam ratios, leading Survitec to develop new nozzles and attachments. 

These nozzle adaptors aspirate the foam, allowing it to expand within the space and to extinguish methanol, diesel, heptane and lubrication oil fires. Trials of the new nozzle also confirmed that fluorine-free alcohol-resistant foam was just as effective with the new adaptor for methanol fires as standard AFFF alcohol-resistant foams.

Maciej Nieścioruk, Product Manager, Foam and Clean Agent Systems, Survitec, said: “DNV-RU-SHIP Pt.6  provides additional guidance on the Total Flooding, Bilge Foam and Local Fire Fighting requirements for engines running on methanol. This helps clarify international guidelines under IMO’s MSC.1/Circ.1621, which many ship operators have found confusing. However, we still believe more needs to be done.”

A particular issue of concern is that international guidelines do not provide clear test protocols for alcohol-based fires. These are required, says Survitec, because the firefighting systems, foams and nozzle configurations used for hydrocarbon fires are ineffective in extinguishing alcohol-based fuel fires. As a result, system arrangements must be adapted to work for methanol fire, with system performance then tested and verified in the lab.

“Local Application Firefighting systems are not covered at all in the IMO rules, and there is no mention of any fire safety adjustments being required for the safe use of methanol (CH3OH) as a marine fuel, although some classification societies like DNV, are starting to specify additional requirements,” Nieścioruk said.

“In practice, this means that firefighting measures for methanol will largely be based on those that exist for hydrocarbon fuels, which we now know will not put out a methanol fire,” he said.

The tests carried out at the RISE Fire Research Laboratory, Trondheim, Norway, one of the world’s largest research organisations on fire, showed that for Category A Machinery Spaces, three separate systems are required to protect the ship and crew from methanol-fuelled engine fires.

The Survitec fire safety team has since been working to raise awareness of the key challenges surrounding methanol fire safety and share their findings from the safety study. They are already discussing with other class societies and shipyards how to develop comprehensive requirements covering all vessel types.

“We encourage all stakeholders to come together to address methanol's unique fire risks and create clear standards, new testing protocols and updated safety rules for methanol to ensure we keep our vessels – and most importantly – our crews, safe”, says Sadzyński.

Note: The Survitec White Paper ‘Do we need new safety standards for methanol?’ can be downloaded here.

 

Photo credit: Survitec
Published: 6 September, 2024

Large ships will require significant advancements in technology and infrastructure to adopt hydrogen and ammonia bunker fuels, according to a recent paper by New York-based blending consulting company Blend Tiger LLC. 

This was one of the key conclusions of the paper, titled Navigating the Transition: A Comparative Analysis of Alternative Fuels for Sustainable Maritime Shipping. 

The study compared the viability of various alternative fuels—hydrogen, ammonia, methanol, and biofuels—across different ship sizes, ranging from the largest ocean-going vessels to smaller, regional ships.

The study, authored by Eliseo Curcio, Director of Clean Technologies at Blend Tiger, also concluded that medium-sized ships can start transitioning to methanol and ammonia as these technologies mature.

“The paper emphasises that these ships are well-positioned to adopt alternative fuels sooner than larger vessels, given their lower energy demands and greater operational flexibility,” the paper stated.  

Small ships, due to their lower energy requirements and the near cost-neutral nature of biofuels, are poised to lead the way in adopting alternative fuels.

Note: The full paper by Curcio can be viewed here. 

 

Photo credit: Blend Tiger
Published: 30 August, 2024

Reaching shipping’s 2030 decarbonization goal of 20% emission reductions, set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), will not happen without significant energy savings, according to DNV's latest Maritime Forecast to 2050, released on Friday (30 August). 

The report stressed that, until carbon-neutral fuels become viable, prioritizing the development and use of technologies that reduce energy consumption is crucial for lowering shipping’s emissions.

To reach IMO’s 2030 decarbonization goals shipping will need between 7 and 48 Mtoe of carbon-neutral fuels. However, with the global cross-sector production of carbon-neutral fuels expected to reach only between 44 and 63 Mtoe by 2030, it will be near impossible for shipping to secure its required share. 

As regulations like the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) and FuelEU Maritime start to impose costs on emissions, shipowners and managers must therefore explore every option to reduce fuel consumption.

Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen, DNV Maritime CEO, said: "While we are currently witnessing a slowdown of decarbonization in shipping, we are entering an era of unprecedented technological exploration that will drive progress forward.”

“With carbon-neutral fuels in short supply, smart decision-making and strategic investments today are crucial to lay the foundations for future emissions reductions.”

“Prioritizing energy efficiency, leveraging technological solutions, and embracing digitalization are key steps towards reducing the extra cost burden and achieving our decarbonization goals."

The eighth edition of DNV’s Maritime Forecast to 2050 provides an updated outlook on regulations, drivers, technologies and fuels needed for maritime decarbonization, including four scenarios exploring conditions that could accelerate the adoption of specific fuels and technologies by 2050. 

The report emphasised that regardless of which direction the industry’s decarbonization journey takes, it will come at a significant cost. 

The four simulated scenarios project these cost increases per transport work; with estimates ranging from 69-75% for bulk carriers, 70-86% for tankers, and 91-112% for container vessels.

“Our latest analyses show that decarbonizing shipping could double the cost of transporting goods by containers”, said Eirik Ovrum, Principal Consultant and Lead Author of Maritime Forecast to 2050. 

“Ultimately, the rising costs of seaborne transport will need to be passed down the value chain and the market is already seeing trends towards shifting these costs to end-users. To remain competitive, shipowners must develop and execute strategic fleet management plans."

According to the report, reducing energy losses is the most straightforward way for the global fleet to cut emissions. Operational and technical energy efficiency measures can reduce fuel consumption by between 4 and 16% by 2030. 

Reducing energy consumption by 16% for the world fleet would save 40 Mt of fuel and 120 MtCO2 emissions, which would be equivalent to operating the 55,000 smallest ships or the 2,500 largest ships with carbon-neutral fuel.

Furthermore, the report highlighted onboard carbon capture (OCC) as potentially the most effective way to decarbonize as it enables the continued use of conventional fuels and technologies. However, CO2 handling infrastructure needs significant development. Solutions like shore power and batteries which can reduce reliance on costly carbon-neutral fuels are also highlighted. For instance, shore power can cut the 7% of total energy consumption that ships use in ports by replacing onboard fossil fuel-generated electricity.

Finally, the report emphasised the increasingly important role digitalization plays in complementing operational and technical energy efficiency measures. Digital verification tools are also crucial for establishing an infrastructure of trust, fostering industry-wide collaboration, and facilitating new contractual arrangements, incentivising energy savings.

 “Our new report outlines how digitalization can shed light on vessel performance, providing vital data which shows the impact of energy saving measures. Data-driven decision making can then be used to design the next-generation of energy efficient ships which are key to the sector’s long-term success”, said Ovrum.

Note: The full copy of DNV’s latest 8th edition of Maritime Forecast to 2050 report can be downloaded here. 

 

Photo credit: DNV
Published: 30 August, 2024