DNV greenlights NoGAPS ammonia-fueled gas carrier design

Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping, in collaboration with its Nordic Green Ammonia Powered Ships (NoGAPS) partners, has obtained Approval in Principle (AiP) from classification society DNV for the design of an ammonia-powered gas carrier – the M/S NoGAPS.

The approval certificate to the NoGAPS partners was presented during the Nor-Shipping trade fair.

In order to award the AiP, DNV has reviewed the design of the vessel for compliance with the DNV rules for Gas Carriers Pt.5 Ch.7 and the IGC code, with a particular focus on the arrangement and systems onboard related to the cargo and fuel installation.

The partners in the project aim to harness the potential of ammonia, overcome the technical challenges of the fuel and have an ammonia-powered ammonia carrier in operation.

The NoGAPS project brings together key players in the value chain, including Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping (MMMCZCS), Nordic Innovation, Global Maritime Forum, BW Epic Kosan Ltd., Yara International, MAN Energy Solutions, Wärtsilä Marine, DNV, Danish Maritime Authority and the external ship designer Breeze Ship Design.

It is one of five projects awarded grants by Nordic Innovation as part of the Nordic Innovation Mobility Mission with the aim of decarbonizing Nordic ports, and the transport of people and goods – on and between sea and land.

The first phase of the project ran from 2020 to 2021 when a proof of concept was developed on how the barriers to the adoption of ammonia as a zero-emission maritime fuel can be overcome, focusing on safety and efficiency, sustainable and steady fuel supply chains, as well as commercial viability.

The second phase, which is still ongoing, involves producing an initial ship design that will lay the foundation for a shipyard tender and the potential construction of the vessel optimized for commercial operation in the North Atlantic and northwestern European waters.

The zero carbon shipping centre, which is leading the vessel design work NoGAPS phase 2, has recently revealed the initial ship design along with the finding of the feasibility assessment which identifies and evaluates ship design concepts that can achieve the design objectives and requirements.

Commenting on the AiP, Claus Winter Graugaard, Chief Technology Officer, Onboard Vessel Solutions at the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping, said: “Collaborative novel design development and safety case integration are critical for the necessary maturation of the ammonia fuel pathway. NoGAPS provides a leading example of this and demonstrates the benefit of starting with ammonia as a fuel in the gas carrier segment.”