A cross-industry consortium of Japanese companies explores ammonia as marine fuel, says an article published in ArgusMedia.
Ammonia-fuelled commercial vessels
A cross-industry consortium of Japanese companies is considering the below ideas to provide the shipping industry with an alternative marine fuel to reduce greenhouse gas emissions:
- launching ammonia-fuelled commercial vessels, as well as
- developing ammonia supply infrastructure in Japan.
Team involved in development
The below mentioned firms have agreed to jointly develop commercial vessels equipped with an engine using ammonia as its main fuel –
- Japanese shipbuilder Imabari Shipbuilding,
- engineering firm Mitsui E&S Machinery,
- trading house Itochu and its energy trading arm Itochu Enex.
Third-party safety assessment
Japanese classification society ClassNK is participating to carry out a third-party safety assessment of such vessels.
Who is responsible for design?
Imabari will be responsible for their development and design.
- It has already been developing vessels fuelled with alternative marine fuels, such as LNG and LPG.
- The company is currently building an LNG-fuelled car carrier for planned late 2020 delivery.
- It has also completed concept designs for both LNG- and LPG-fuelled Capesize bulk carriers.
Firms responsibilities
MAN Energy Solutions
The consortium also includes MAN Energy Solutions, German auto producer Volkswagen’s large engines unit, which will play a role in developing an ammonia-fuelled engine for the project.
Mitsui E&S Machinery
Mitsui E&S Machinery, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Japanese engineering firm Mitsui E&S, will work with MAN to develop the engine.
Itochu
Itochu plans to jointly develop a facility with Itochu Enex to fuel ammonia for ships, as well as to set up a distribution network.
Itochu Enex
Ammonia will be supplied for the project by Itochu Enex.
Alternative marine fuel
Ammonia’s potential as an alternative marine fuel has attracted interest from the global shipping industry.
IMO’s emission reduction targets
The industry is aiming to reduce GHG emissions in line with the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) emissions reduction targets.
GHG emissions by 2050
The IMO’s strategy to halve the industry’s GHG emissions by 2050 includes:
- a 40pc reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and
- a 70pc cut by 2050 compared with 2008 levels.
Vessel modification to use ammonia
Equinor
Norway’s state-controlled Equinor earlier this year agreed with shipowner Eidesvik Offshore to modify the LNG-fuelled Viking Energy platform supply vessel to use ammonia as a fuel.
Testing
The vessel is targeted to begin testing the use of ammonia as its fuel from 2024.
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Source: ArgusMedia
