The transition to methanol as a promising alternative fuel for maritime applications, presents unique design and material challenges, particularly in retrofitting existing integrated aluminum tanks for methanol storage. Methanol’s toxicity, flammability, and corrosive nature, particularly with respect to aluminum alloys, complicate this process. This research adopts a multi-disciplinary approach, integrating ship design and material science to address these challenges. A complete analysis of regulatory frameworks and material compatibility was conducted to explore viable solutions for converting integrated aluminum tanks, with a focus on incorporating an inner barrier that ensures both compliance with classification societies and the optimization of net volume.

Key methods used in this research include Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) analysis and static immersion followed by tensile tests experiments. The MCDM was conducted to ascertain the most viable inner barrier solution for retrofitting integra.