Japan’s Sumitomo Heavy Industries Marine & Engineering has been granted approval in principle (AiP) from Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK) for a tanker equipped with a methanol dual-fuel system, it said on March 22. 

Sumitomo’s tanker will feature a main engine and a methanol fuel supply system, including a fuel pump, fuel tank and fuel controls, enabling the use of methanol and fuel oil, the company said. The tanker also has double-walled fuel oil piping, a leak detection system, to ensure higher safety against leakage and fire.  

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“Methanol is recognised as one of the superior clean fuels because it does not emit sulphur oxide at all, and it can also reduce about 8% of greenhouse gas emission compared with current heavy fuel oil. And as the difference between gas fuel such as LNG and hydrogen, methanol is liquid and easy to handle,” Sumitomo said.  

The company said its tanker’s energy efficiency design index, which is an index for the amount of greenhouse gas emissions from the vessel, is far below the phase 3 requirements of the International Maritime Organisation, coming into force in 2025.