China issues national safety guide for methanol bunkering
In China, the Maritime Safety Administration has issued an operational safety guide for ship-to-ship methanol bunkering, establishing detailed protocols as the alternative fuel gains ground in commercial shipping.
The guidelines cover pre-operation compatibility checks, nitrogen inerting before and after transfer, vapor recovery, and real-time monitoring of tank pressure and flow rates. Workers must complete hazard-specific training, maintain two independent communication channels, and shut down radar during operations.
Emergency triggers include communication failure, methanol leaks, combustible gas alarms, and deteriorating weather. Spilled methanol must be recovered with explosion-proof equipment and cannot be flushed into the water.
Methanol bunkering is already operational at ports from Rotterdam to Singapore, but most rules governing those operations are local and port-specific. Singapore and the EU have issued national or regional guidance, and China now joins that short list with one of the world’s largest port networks behind it.
Category: Sustainable Marine Fuels
