News

SGMF Press Release
March 2024

SGMF pushing the boundaries to support the safe and sustainable use of future fuels

As we go forward in 2024, look out for our first two publications, on methanol and ammonia. These two introductory guides will be followed by more detailed publications later in the year.

Over the last few years, the maritime transport industry has come under increasing pressure to improve its environmental performance and minimise the emissions from its fuel consumption.

To support the industry in its efforts to reduce emissions, SGMF is shifting gears to focus on the use of methanol and ammonia, alongside other fuels. As these fuels are not widely used yet, the aim of these new guidelines is to help the industry adopt the use of methanol and ammonia as a fuel in a safe and sustainable way.

Methanol as a Marine Fuel – An Introduction explains what methanol is and provides fundamental knowledge about its chemical composition and properties. Due to its liquid form at ambient temperature, its recognised environmental benefits and adaptability across industries, methanol has generated a lot of interest among ship owners. While this Guide offers a high-level overview, its primary objective is to provide key information that will aid the emerging methanol-fuelled shipping industry in its development and adoption of this alternative marine fuel.

Ammonia has potentially significant environmental advantages and is considered a carbon-free molecule because it does not emit carbon dioxide (CO2) during combustion. As a result, it has been proposed as a cleaner fuel. Manufacturers are actively designing, developing and testing ammonia-powered engines.

Now in its second revision, Ammonia as a Marine Fuel – An Introduction reflects the increase in studies on ammonia-fuelled vessel projects and the collaboration between stakeholders in the industry to further aid the use of ammonia as a marine fuel.
SGMF has been leading the industry in the safe and sustainable use of liquefied natural gas (LNG) for more than a decade and we are proud to continue supporting the industry and to remain the leader in the safe and sustainable use of future fuels.

The Introductory Guides are available now to download for members and non-members via the SGMF website. The full guidelines will be released later this year providing the holistic approach to ammonia and methanol bunkering.