RINA awarded the Type Approval to SRC Group’s Methanol Superstorage system, in a formal recognition of a solution which allows shipowners and operators to use methanol and ethanol as green marine fuels without sacrificing storage space.
The formal recognition means owners can adopt Methanol Superstorage with confidence that it meets the exacting standards for safety, performance, reliability and compliance required for Type Approval by one of shipping’s leading class societies.
In March 2025, RINA awarded Approval in Principle (AiP) status to Methanol Superstorage.
Methanol has emerged as a strong contender as an alternative fuel for marine and offshore applications, given its ability to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by up to 95% compared with heavy fuel oil (HFO). Ethanol also produces significantly lower greenhouse gas, SOx and particulate emissions than HFO, while also being easy to handle and commercially available.
However, both methanol and ethanol also require approximately two times more storage volume than HFO.
To protect the tank from external fire and mechanical impact, and to provide leakage mitigation, conventional shipboard fuel storage tanks feature cofferdams which separate their inner and outer shells.
Methanol Superstorage overcomes the space challenge by creating a tank with a sandwich-structure, utilising SPS Technology’s Sandwich Plate System (SPS). The SPS comprises a 25mm solid elastomer core, fully enclosed between two steel plates rated to A60 equivalence.
The design eliminates key hazards such as asphyxiation, toxic exposure, falls, entrapment and vapour accumulation during inspections. It also reduces structural risks by lowering stress concentrations and fatigue cracking, removing large internal surfaces prone to corrosion/coating breakdown and maximising resistance to high impacts and punctures. Methanol Superstorage would store nearly twice the volume of methanol or ethanol as would be possible using conventional tanks. Simpler by design and with fewer parts, the solution also removes the need for regular inspections and gas-freeing procedures, thereby extending its service life.
As a scalable solution, Methanol Superstorage is suited to all vessel types, from small workboats and tugs to offshore support vessels, yachts, ferries, cruise ships, tankers and cargo vessels.
Type approval will make it easier for flag states to issue project-specific approvals for the system, at a time when forecasts suggest a surge in demand for methanol-powered vessels: by 2030, methanol ships are expected to account for nearly 20% of the global order book.
Pino Spadafora, Marine Market Development Vice President at RINA, commented: “SRC Group’s Methanol Superstorage is a practical, space-efficient solution with the potential to accelerate the adoption of green methanol as a marine fuel, delivering increased storage capacity of conventional tank designs while maintaining equivalent safety.”
Alex Vainokivi, Innovation Manager, SRC Group, said: “Obtaining Type Approval from RINA is great news, and an important step forward in building industry-wide confidence in Methanol Superstorage.
It provides ship owners with clear validation as they evaluate methanol as a long-term clean fuel that can support their decarbonisation targets, covering a wide range of vessel types.”
