Methanol Bunkering

Methanol bunkering transfers methanol as fuel ship-to-ship or shore-to-ship, handled near ambient temperature and pressure but treated as a low-flashpoint and toxic fuel under the IGF-Code interim guidelines (MSC.1/Circ.1621). Procedures address its wide flammability range, near-invisible flame, water solubility, and the need for inert gas and vapor control. Ports including Singapore, Rotterdam, and several in China have run methanol bunkering operations as the methanol-fueled fleet grows, with simultaneous-operations protocols allowing bunkering during cargo work.