Denmark's Eltronic FuelTech launches methanol fuel supply system for ships

Danish engineering company Eltronic FuelTech has introduced a low-flashpoint fuel supply system tailored for methanol-powered container ships.

PHOTO: Model of Eltronic FuelTech's methanol fuel supply system. Eltronic FuelTech

According to Eltronic FuelTech, its integrated fuel supply system comprises a single supply system and fuel valve train. This “improves safety, cuts costs and saves energy” on the vessels, the company claims.

Moreover, while methanol-powered ships typically utilise two pumps for their fuel supply systems, Eltronic FuelTech's system operates with just one pump. This could potentially lead to a reduction in energy consumption of up to 40% in container ships, the company adds.

"This means that if a ship is sailing slowly, the pump automatically adjusts to the load, running at only 60% of full power, for example. Unlike other systems, which may pump unnecessarily large quantities of methanol, our system minimises electricity consumption, particularly on large ships,” Louise Andreasen, chief executive of Eltronic FuelTech, explains.

The fuel supply system is also equipped with a nitrogen purging system, to clean the piping for safety reasons, according to the company’s technical datasheet.

As a low flash point fuel, methanol becomes highly flammable when heated beyond 10°C. It is also fully soluble in water, so a mixture of water and methanol will still cause a fire.

As a precaution, nitrogen is used to clean the pipes that carry methanol fuel. An injection of nitrogen is used to flush out any remaining fuel in the fuel piping, a process known as nitrogen purging. Since nitrogen is an inert gas, it helps stabilise the pipeline environment, reducing the risk of fire.

By Konica Bhatt

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