COSCO orders methanol fuel supply systems for four container ships

Chinese container shipping company COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry Technology (Weihai) has inked a deal with COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry (Yangzhou) for methanol fuel supply systems for four container ships.

PHOTO: COSCO Shipping’s methanol fuel supply system. COSCO Shipping

A fuel supply system is used to deliver marine fuel to boilers at temperatures and pressures suitable for satisfactory combustion and plays a crucial role in using methanol safely as fuel.

Methanol is transferred from the service tank by fuel supply systems, which regulate its flow, pressure and temperature. These systems are equipped with a so-called nitrogen purging system, to clean the piping for safety reasons. Methanol is highly flammable, with flash point levels of 10°C-11°C.

By injecting nitrogen – an inert gas – to clean out fuel in the fuel piping, the pipeline environment is stabilised and risks of fire are reduced.

The fuel supply system order for four 16,000-TEU container ships “is the first large project of methanol fuel supply for both the main and auxiliary engines of ships in China,” COSCO Shipping claims.

The methanol-fuelled engines for the vessels will be delivered by Swiss engine manufacturer WinGD. The vessels are expected to be delivered in 2025.

Methanol has been gaining popularity among shipowners. According to classification society DNV data, methanol recorded 12 ship orders in May, which boosted the total methanol-fuelled ship order count by 9% from April, to 127 in May.

By Tuhin Roy

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