Hyundai Mipo Dockyard wins LR approval for ammonia-powered ship

Hyundai Mipo Dockyard (HMD), a shipbuilding unit of Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Co., has secured an Approval in Principle (AiP) from Lloyd’s Register for its ammonia-powered design of a 50,000 dwt MR tanker.

The shipbuilder has been working on a joint development project of ammonia-based propulsion with Lloyd’s Register and German engine manufacturer MAN Energy Solutions since October last year.

Under the project, HMD was in charge of the basic design, while MAN Energy Solutions was assigned with the development and specifications of the ammonia dual-fuel engine. Lloyd’s Register’s role was to make sure the design was safe and suitable, focusing on risk mitigation.

The AIP is a step in the right direction for the South Korean shipbuilder, which aims to commercialize ammonia-powered ships by 2025.

Ammonia has been identified as one of the likely zero-emission fuels of the future in line with the IMO’s 2050 decarbonization objectives, as it has great potential to power large trans-ocean going ships.

MAN Energy Solutions has been working on the development of a two-stroke ammonia concept for some time. The concept will be an add-on to the ME engine, similar to the previous engine concepts for liquid gas injection propane, ME-LGIP (LPG), and liquid gas injection methanol, ME-LGIM.

Ammonia can be stored on vessels under the same conditions as LPG, however, the tank volume has to be twice that of LPG due to the lower energy density.