ITOCHU, MPA, and partners to jointly study ammonia-fueled bulk carriers

Japanese trading company ITOCHU Corporation, compatriot classification society ClassNK, shipbuilder Nihon Shipyard, and Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for a joint study of ammonia-fueled bulk carriers.

Specifically, the joint study will focus on the design and safety specifications of ammonia-fueled ships under development by ITOCHU and partners.

The discussion for a specification of ammonia-fueled ship with governmental body related to its operation is essential for a social implementation of ammonia-fueled ship, the partners said.

As one of the signatories of the MoU, MPA, the government agency overseeing the world’s busiest bunkering hub, will review and provide its views on the designs of the ammonia-fueled ships to ensure their safe operations.

As a classification society, ClassNK will be responsible for providing insight from the perspective of safety and environmental protection as well as information on alternative design approval process.

The MoU is based on the premise that 200,000 dwt class bulk carriers will be built by Nihon Shipyard with an ammonia dual-fueled engine by applying an alternative design approval process in accordance with the “Integrated project for development and social implementation of ammonia-fueled ships” which was adopted under the “Green Innovation Fund Project / Development Project for Next-Generation Ships / Development of Ammonia-Fueled Ship”, a project publicly offered by New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) in October 2021.

The necessary clarifications of the specification for the ammonia-fueled ship to carry out ammonia bunkering in Singapore will be conducted among parties of this MoU, for the commercialization of ammonia-fueled ships, the partners explained.