NYK's ammonia-fuelled ammonia gas carrier gets approval

NYK Line, Japan Engine Corporation, IHI Power Systems, and Nihon Shipyard have received approval in principle (AiP) from the Japanese classification society ClassNK for an ammonia-fuelled ammonia gas carrier, the companies said in a joint statement issue on September 7.

There are no international regulations for the use of ammonia as a marine fuel at present. Therefore, the consortium has been conducting research and development to ensure that the carrier has the same safety features as vessels using existing fuel oil or LNG.

The consortium conducted a hazard identification study risk assessment of the safety of using ammonia as marine fuel in anticipation of obtaining approval for an alternative design. Getting approval for an alternative design refers to the process of obtaining approval from the competent authorities for the design of a vessel for which no international regulations have yet been established by proving that the design is equivalent to the safety requirements of the existing international regulations, the companies said.

The consortium received an AiP from the Japanese class society ClassNK after concluding that safety can be ensured. This is the first time that a risk assessment has been conducted and an AiP obtained not only for a concept but also an alternative design, the companies said.

This project is part of the Green Innovation Fund Project of the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organisation, the national research and development agency in Japan.