NYK teams up with TBG to enhance safety of ammonia bunkering

Japanese shipping company NYK Line and compatriot TB Global Technologies (TBG) have signed a basic agreement to jointly develop Japan’s first bunkering boom for ammonia, a device used to supply ammonia fuel between ships.

A bunkering boom for ammonia is a device consisting of rigid pipes and hoses that connect a bunkering vessel to the other vessel to supply fuel. It is said to be highly durable because it is made of rigid pipe, and its swivel joints allow it to change direction freely, making it easy to operate.

In this joint development, the two companies will employ TBG’s technology to prevent the liquid inside from leaking out when the bunkering boom is emergently released from a ship due to a natural disaster, thereby tackling the biggest challenge in ammonia fuel supply, i.e., preventing leakage.

NYK will share its data related to the development of its ammonia bunkering vessel, which received Approval in Principle (AiP) from ClassNK in September 2022.

The shipping company will also share its knowledge gained from Japan’s first LNG bunkering vessel, Kaguya, which is operated by its affiliate Central LNG Marine Fuel Japan Corporation.

• NYK’s ammonia bunkering vessel wins green light from ClassNK
• Maritime majors complete NH3 co-firing test using 4-stroke NH3-fueled engine
• Cameron: We can’t engineer out the toxicity of ammonia

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