RINA has granted an Approval in Principle (AiP) certificate to MAN Energy Solutions for its methanol-ready MAN L/V 32/44CR engine. The AiP covers an upgrade concept for the four-stroke engine for conversion to dual-fuel running on methanol to provide greater flexibility to shipowners, according to a press release.

Patrizio Di Francesco, EMEA Special Projects Manager, RINA, said: “This AiP is based on our recently published Methyl Alcohol Fuelled Ready notation. Methanol is a fuel with a lot of potential as 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, MAN Energy Solutions, 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.”

Methanol has several, physical advantages as a fuel, including a liquid state at ambient temperatures and its accordingly easy handling aboard vessels, compared to gaseous fuels. Under combustion, methanol also emits fewer NOx emissions and no SOx nor soot emissions.

In preparation for the fuels that will power a decarbonised future, MAN Energy Solutions is also developing solutions for methanol, which can become carbon-neutral if synthesised with green hydrogen.

Finally, methanol is also much less hazardous to marine life compared with conventional marine fuels. The AiP certificate permits the use of outer ship hulls as bunker tanks, thereby increasing fuel-storage capacity on-board.