New partnership eyes development of NH3-fueled NH3 bunkering tanker

September 8, 2023, by Aida Čučuk

ClassNK, a ship classification society, Consort Bunkers, bunkering ships operator, Daihatsu Diesel, alternative fuel engines developer, Daikai Engineering, machinery and marine equipment and after-sales service provider, and SeaTech Solutions International, designer of ships equipped with alternative fuel engines, have concluded a memorandum of understanding (MoU) concerning a joint study on ammonia-fueled ammonia bunkering tanker.

Specifically, the five parties agreed to jointly study the concept design of the ammonia-fueled ammonia tanker and the issuance of relevant approval in principle (AiP).

Under the MoU, witnessed by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, the parties are set to pool their expertise and collaborate toward the realization of decarbonized shipping.

According to ClassNK, amid expectations for using ammonia fuel in pursuit of shipping decarbonization, bunkering ships for ammonia-fueled ships will play an essential role in the supply chain.

Hayato Suga, Executive Vice President, ClassNK, said: “It is our great pleasure to work together with prominent partners to fill in the pieces for advancing decarbonization of shipping. ClassNK will strive to fulfil its role, reviewing the safety and integrity of the developed design in accordance with our rules related to ammonia transport and its use as fuel, and hope to materialize the outcome as our AiP.”

Yoichi Hayata, Director, Technical Management Division, Daihatsu Diesel, commented: “Recently, there has been an urgent need to reduce GHG emissions from ships, and the use of ammonia as a zero-carbon fuel has been attracting attention. However, there are issues with combustibility and safety. We have already conducted basic tests on ammonia, and have obtained knowledge on combustion characteristics, trends in exhaust gas emissions, precautions for handling etc. Utilizing this knowledge, we will join forces with MoU member companies and contribute to the cooperation in acquiring ammonia bunkering vessel AiP and the development of GHG reduction technology.”

Mikio Kaneda, Managing Director, Daikai Engineering, remarked: “The maritime industry stands at the cusp of a transformative era, and our joint effort to develop an ammonia-fueled vessel embodies our collective commitment to sustainable innovation. Together, we are not just envisioning a greener future, we are actively working to make it a reality.”

Capt M Segar, Assistant Chief Executive (Operations), Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, concluded: “MPA welcomes studies, pilots and collaborations that contribute to the maritime sector’s decarbonization efforts. Joint studies such as the one under this MoU are useful in bringing together the collective expertise and experience of various leading stakeholders to deepen the industry’s knowledge and confidence in handling the new future fuels, and to accelerate the development of future fuel solutions to meet the revised IMO GHG emission ambitions for international shipping.“

To remind, this week, ClassNK also signed a MoU with Fukui Seisakusho concerning a joint study on a safety relief valve for a cargo tank of liquefied hydrogen (LH2) carriers.