Alternative Fuels

SMW 2024: Alternative fuels are greener but come with risks

Alternative bunker fuels – biofuels, methanol, LNG, and ammonia – are not more risky than traditional fuels but need to be handled safely and effectively, says Diego Cosulich of CMC Marine.

Published

1 year ago

April 29, 2024

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SMW 2024: Alternative fuels are greener but come with risks

The article ‘Handle with care: Alternative fuels are greener but come with risks’ was first published on Issue 5 of the Singapore Maritime Week 2024 Show Dallies; it has been reproduced in its entirety on Singapore bunkering publication Manifold Times with permission from The Nutgraf and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore:

Jaime Niam
[email protected]

The maritime industry is looking to make alternative marine propulsion fuels mainstream, to meet new industry emissions standards. But facilitating this transition requires careful management of its risks, said Mr Diego Cosulich, Regional Director and Consulting Chemist at CMC Marine.

Sharing his insights at the Maritime Services Leaders Forum on Thursday, he noted that alternative fuels – biofuels, methanol, liquefied natural gas (LNG), and ammonia – are not more risky than traditional fuels. They simply need to be handled safely and effectively.

“The usage of these new bunkers is far from impossible, just more complicated,” said Mr Cosulich in his presentation titled Managing Risks of Future Marine Propulsion Fuels, emphasising the need for new safety considerations to ensure their viability.

In fact, attitudes towards traditional fuels, which have been considered relatively safe, have also changed in the past few years, he added. This follows recent cases of chemical contamination in bunkers that have resulted in catastrophic costs due to engine blackouts, causing groundings and collisions.

With alternative fuels, the key is to develop a comprehensive understanding of their characteristics – and how to use and store them properly, he said.

BIOFUELS

With its adoption in the aviation and land transport industries, biofuels are also considered a viable alternative in maritime. This is in large part due to their drop-in nature, enabling them to be used without substantial retrofitting of existing vessel infrastructure.

But their production is labour-intensive and prolonged storage can lead to microbial growth, resulting in clogging or fouling. Regular tank inspections are required to ensure that these do not result in engine failures or exposure risks to the crew.

METHANOL

Easy to store and handle, with no need for costly cryogenic fuel tanks, methanol is gaining traction as a viable alternative fuel.

Its risks mostly have to do with its flammability at ambient temperatures – especially when it burns with an invisible flame. “It’s one thing to fight a fire you can see, and another to fight one you cannot see,” said Mr Cosulich.

Methanol also dissolves very quickly in water, resulting in rapid marine pollution once there are leaks.

LNG

LNG is often considered the preferred alternative fuel, as it is able to reduce up to 23 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions.

The main challenge lies with its storage. LNG takes up a lot of space, having to be stored in cryogenic conditions at -162 deg C to shrink its volume for transport. It also has low specific energy, storing less energy per unit of volume. Bunker tanks have to be almost double their current size in order to accommodate the same energy capacity as traditional fuels.

AMMONIA

While the other three fuels are low-carbon options, ammonia gas is the only product that is completely carbon-free. But its toxicity is a huge concern.

To avoid serious health hazards, ammonia cannot be directly released into the atmosphere and requires another layer of compartmentalisation in the engine room to minimise exposure and leakage risks.

Ultimately, bunkering will become a highly specialised operation for all alternative fuels, and this requires highly trained and proficient personnel to safely and successfully pull off.

“The bunker quantity survey should become the bunker quantity and safety survey (BQSS),” Mr Cosulich said. “The crew should be highly trained and licensed to handle each type of new fuel, and BQSS should be compulsory for the first few years until the industry is more confident with more available data.”

Singapore Maritime Week 2024 was organised by Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore from 15 to 19 April.

Photo credit: Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore
Article credit: The Nutgraf/ Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore
Published: 29 April 2024

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Biofuel

Hercules Tanker Management vessel “Mount Kibo” takes on B30 bio bunker fuel

HTM said its tanker was successfully supplied with B30 bunkers by tanker “Hercules Sky”, another HTM-owned vessel and operated by Peninsula, marking the first biofuel supply to the HTM fleet.

Published

8 hours ago

April 30, 2025

Admin

Hercules Tanker Management vessel “Mount Kibo” takes on B30 bio bunker fuel

Hercules Tanker Management (HTM) on Tuesday (29 April) announced that its tanker Mount Kibo has been successfully supplied with B30 bunkers by tanker Hercules Sky, another HTM-owned vessel which is operated by Peninsula.

The operation marked the first biofuel supply to the HTM fleet.

HTM is the shipping venture launched last September by John A. Bassadone, founder and CEO of independent marine fuel supplier Peninsula.

HTM said the operation carried out in the Strait of Gibraltar aligns with the recent discussions at MEPC 83, where key decisions were made to advance maritime decarbonisation, including new fuel standards and a global pricing mechanism for emissions.

“Additionally, this initiative supports the objectives of the FuelEU Maritime Regulation, which promotes the use of renewable, low-carbon fuels and clean energy technologies for ships,” it said.

“By utilising biofuels, we are contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and supporting the industry's transition towards cleaner energy solutions.”

Photo credit: Hercules Tanker Management
Published: 30 April, 2025

Alternative Fuels

DNV: Seven steps to obtain approval for ammonia- and hydrogen-fuelled ships

DNV summarizes how shipowners can apply a practical, structured approach to gaining approval for ammonia- or hydrogen-fuelled ships as both are gradually emerging as suitable bunker fuels.

Published

8 hours ago

April 30, 2025

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Classification society DNV on Monday (28 April) released an article summarizing how shipowners can apply a practical, structured approach to gaining approval for ammonia- or hydrogen-fuelled ships.

From engaging early with flag administrations to addressing design risks, training crews, and managing bunkering safely, DNV described seven essential steps to receive approval:

The paper – Safe introduction of alternative fuels: Focus on ammonia and hydrogen as ship fuels – offers a structured pathway for shipowners to achieve approval through IMO’s alternative design approval (ADA) process.

Seven steps to obtain approval for ammonia- and hydrogen-fuelled ships

“We outline seven steps to assist shipowners and other stakeholders in obtaining approval and safely deploying ammonia- and hydrogen-fuelled ships in today’s immature regulatory environment,” says Linda Hammer, Principal Consultant, Environment Advisory at DNV and lead author of the white paper. “The regulatory path is certainly complex, but the steps and safety measures in the paper add up to a clear, achievable pathway to ship approval and safe operations. It also explains how DNV’s support can significantly ease this process through its tailored rule sets and learnings from pilot projects.”

t1 ind 586 steps to obtain approval (1)

Understanding ADA phases: From initial design to final approval

IMO’s IGF Code (International Code of Safety for Ship Using Gases or Other Low-flashpoint Fuels) currently covers natural gas but not ammonia or hydrogen. Without detailed regulations, IMO’s risk-based ADA process (MSC.1/Circ.1455) is used. It involves demonstrating that the ship’s safety level is equivalent to that of conventional oil-fuelled vessels.

t4 ind 586 milestones in the two phases (1)

ADA has two main phases. A preliminary design approval requires a hazard identification (HAZID) study, developing a preliminary risk assessment, and defining preliminary risk-control measures and safety strategies.

Phase two, final design approval, starts with refining the design with detailed technical and safety documentation, then making a final risk assessment, addressing integration and operation-specific concerns. Then come complete system integration testing and submitting findings to the flag administration.

Role of class and flag administrations in approval process

As the IMO regulatory framework progresses towards eventually amending the IGF Code, classification societies like DNV can give shipowners a head start in designing vessels by issuing class certificates and providing prescriptive rule frameworks to support ADA.

t2 ind 586 the status of the development of imo safety regulations

Flag administrations enforce statutory regulations and have the final say on approvals. Early and active engagement with the relevant flag administration is therefore the key to clarifying approval expectations and streamlining ADA.

Subject to flag administration acceptance, the DNV rules can be applied as the flag administration’s approval basis or to significantly reduce the complexity of ADA.

Simplifying ship approval: DNV’s rules for ammonia and hydrogen fuels

DNV’s classification rules for ammonia and hydrogen (i.e. the “Gas fuelled ammonia” notation published in 2021 and the 2024 “Gas fuelled hydrogen” notation) provide structured, prescriptive requirements as far as possible to simplify ADA. Applying them helps reduce uncertainty in flag administration approval, streamlines design focus by aligning with expected risk assessments, and provides predictability to shipowners, ship designers and shipyards.

The paper describes step-by-step actions for obtaining approval. First, engage DNV and the flag administration early to clarify the approval basis. “DNV can help owners and yards in the initial contact with the flag administration to obtain necessary clarification regarding the approval scope and process,” says Hammer.

Second, align the design with DNV rules to ensure it provides a strong technical basis for risk evaluation. Third, tap into DNV’s extensive and growing experience from prior projects to anticipate what risk studies and documentation may be needed.

The paper also discusses measures to manage the new technical, human and organizational risks that both fuels bring compared to conventional fuels. DNV’s dedicated ship rules for each fuel type outline technical requirements and mitigation systems to integrate during design and operation.

Note: DNV’s full article on ‘Practical guide for approval of ammonia- or hydrogen-fuelled ships’ can be read here.

Photo credit: DNV
Published: 30 April, 2025

Methanol

Ofiniti to roll out e-BDNs for Golden Island methanol bunkering operations in Singapore

Ofiniti will issue electronic Bunker Delivery Notes, based on the recently published Technical Reference 129 on Methanol Bunkering, across Golden Island’s newbuilds and part of its existing fleet.

Published

1 day ago

April 29, 2025

Admin

Ofiniti to roll out e-BDNs for Golden Island methanol bunkering operations in Singapore

Ofiniti, a provider of digital solutions for maritime bunker operations, on Tuesday (29 April) said Singapore bunker supplier Golden Island Pte Ltd will adopt Ofiniti platforms for its expanding fleet operations.

Ofiniti said the move will lay the foundation for a digital multi-fuel future with Golden Island’s four new chemical tankers on order and Singapore-flagged bunker tanker Golden Antares, which will soon enter service.

As part of the transition, Ofiniti will roll out electronic Bunker Delivery Notes (e-BDNs), based on the recently published Technical Reference (TR) 129 on Methanol Bunkering, across Golden Island’s newbuilds and part of its existing fleet.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG), through the Singapore Standards Council (SSC), on 10 March published TR 129 to provide a comprehensive framework for the safe and efficient use of methanol as an alternative fuel for bunkering operations.

Kenny Yap Song Jin, Low Carbon Solutions, Golden Island, said: “Launching our methanol bunkering operations is a major milestone, not just for Golden Island, but for Singapore’s journey toward multi-fuel readiness.

“By combining innovative low-carbon fuels with digital transparency, we set a new benchmark for safe, efficient, and sustainable marine fuel delivery.”

Ofiniti said it has supported suppliers through every stage of the industry’s transition, from conventional fuels to LNG, biofuels, hydrogen, and now, supporting methanol.

Tue Nielsen, Chief Executive Officer, Ofiniti, said: “I’m proud to welcome Golden Island to Ofiniti’s platforms.

“Their move signals a strong trust in our ability to support next-generation operations, and it reflects a broader shift in the market towards digital solutions built specifically for the realities of maritime fuels today and tomorrow.

“We are customer-obsessed, always trying to build in resilience to the way we are doing business.”

Manifold Times previously reported Golden Island’s plans to start bunkering trials of green methanol with its newbuild Singapore-flagged 7,999 dwt IMO type 2 bunker tanker from July.

Golden Antares was scheduled to depart a Chinese shipyard by late April and will lift green methanol produced by Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited (Towngas) before returning to Singapore to begin bunkering trials.

In April, Ofiniti welcomed bunkering and marine fuel solutions provider Global Fuel Supply (GFS) to its FuelBoss platform as one of its newest customers.

GFS said it was proud to be the first physical supplier in West Africa to launch fully digitalised bunker operations with electronic bunker delivery note (e-BDN) via the FuelBoss platform.