SRC secures The Royal Institution of Naval Architects Maritime Innovation Award 2025 for Methanol Superstorage solution

Pictured (L to R) Hannes Lilp, CEO, SRC Group and Alex Vainokivi, Innovation Manager, SRC Group

SRC Group’s Methanol Superstorage solution has won The Royal Institution of Naval Architects Maritime Innovation Award 2025, recognising its contribution the adoption of methanol as a mainstream marine fuel.

Every year, a panel of RINA judges considers initiatives from academia as well as industry before giving the prestigious award to the innovation considered the most significant in terms of advancing maritime vessel design, construction, and operations.

Aligning with International Maritime Organization targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions over the coming decades and achieve Net Zero by or around 2050, a ship fuelled by green methanol could reduce carbon emissions by up to 95%. However, methanol has significantly lower volumetric energy content than HFO. Owners working with the fuel either need to bunker more frequently or factor in around 2.5 times the fuel storage capacity to produce equivalent energy.

Methanol Superstorage is a unique, space-efficient methanol storage solution that will allow existing ships and newbuilds to play a full role in energy transition.

Conventionally, the tanks used to store low flash-point fuels on ships feature internal and external walls that are separated by cofferdams spanning a minimum of 600mm. Methanol Superstorage meets the storage challenge by replacing this with Sandwich Plate System (SPS) technology, where 25mm thick tank walls are comprised of internal and external steel surfaces connected by an elastomer core.

Already approved in principle by Lloyd’s Register and RINA (Registro Italiano Navale), Methanol Superstorage boosts tank capacity on average by  around 85% with minimal impact on the GA.

Speaking at RINA ’s Annual Dinner, at the De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms, Covent Garden, London on 22 May, Hannes Lilp, CEO and Chair, SRC Group, said: “The SRC team is truly honoured to accept RINA’s Maritime Innovation Award, which considers developments in hydrodynamics and propulsion, structures and materials from across academia and industry.“

“Given that our focus in growing SRC over the last 25 years has been on the complex ship project work we do day to day, it is especially rewarding to be recognised for the engineering innovation that has gone into developing Methanol Superstorage.”

DNV’s latest Alternative Fuels Insight (AFI) figures show that ships using methanol accounted for 24 of the 49 orders placed for alternative fuel solution in April 2025. In March, DNV said that 60 methanol-fuelled ships were already in operation, with a further 340 on order.

SRC has already undertaken detailed studies covering the use of the Methanol Superstorage solution on board cruise ships, container ships, ferries, tugs, offshore support vessels and yachts.

■ Contact: SRC Group www.src.ee