LR Collaborates With MAN To Design Ammonia-fuelled ULCS

Lloyd’s Register (LR) has granted Approval in Principle to Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Co. (DSIC), and MAN Energy Solutions for an ammonia-fuelled 23,000 TEU Ultra-Large Container Ship (ULCS) concept design, the first ammonia as fuel design of its kind in China.

LR facilitated hazard identification (HAZID) workshops to determine potential hazards throughout the design phase, covering areas limited to the ammonia-fuelled engine and the external piping systems. LR also provides technical guidance regarding the ship’s design and the provision of technical materials, in accordance with the goals and functional requirements from current and anticipated regulatory rules, procedures and guidelines.

C-FUTURE solution

Mr. Yang Zhizhong, President of Dalian Shipbuilding Industry, commented during the ceremony, “DSIC has developed the concept design of the zero-carbon emission ULCV cooperating with MAN Energy Solution and Lloyd’s Register. The “C-FUTURE” solution is another pioneering initiative of DSIC on the development of green ships and clean energy applications. DSIC will continue to strengthen cooperation with a domestic and international partner, to develop environmentally friendly and efficient new ship types, to achieve more new breakthroughs.”

Low emission vessels

Bjarne Foldager, Senior Vice President, Head of Two-Stroke Business at MAN Energy Solutions – said: “Enabling vessels to operate with low emissions has been an aim of MAN Energy Solutions’ two-stroke portfolio for many years and we continuously introduce engines capable of operating on such clean fuels as LNG, methanol, and ethanol. As such, low-speed marine engines are already the most efficient propulsion system for trans-oceanic shipping, making them the de-facto, standard powertrain for commercial vessels. In this respect, developing ships fuelled by ammonia makes perfect sense as it has the potential in the future to be created from renewable, primary-energy sources such as wind, hydro or solar.”

Llyod’s Register exciting project

Mark Darley, LR North Asia President, said: “This is an exciting project, not only for LR who has had many firsts in this area, including the first hydrogen-fuelled ferry, Hydroville but for the Chinese market as this is the first design of its kind and shows the country’s commitment to shipping’s decarbonization journey. The global shipping community is facing the challenges associated with the IMO’s GHG ambitions, this is the first step in exploring and testing low carbon alternatives such as ammonia. We look forward to working closely with the key stakeholders in this JDP which aims to bring zero-carbon advancements in the field of ULCS design.”