Lloyd’s Register (LR) has awarded Nantong COSCO KHI Ship Engineering Co., Ltd. (NACKS) Approval in Principle (AiP) for an ammonia-fuelled 16,000 TEU ship.
The AiP was presented at LR’s Nantong office and marks another milestone for ammonia as a fuel for container ship propulsion.
LR, NACKS and Hudong Heavy Machinery Co., Ltd. (HHM) started work on the project in early 2021 with the AiP awarded following a risk-based HAZID certification in which the three partners discussed the flammable, highly toxic and corrosive nature of ammonia and attended risk assessment seminars.
As part of the approval process the three parties also conducted research and discussion on the arrangement of the fuel tank, the selection of fuel tank material, vent mast positioning, double-walled pipe ventilation detection, bunkering station arrangement as well as detection and fire control of ammonia leakage.
Ammonia has been recognised as one of the most promising alternative fuels for achieving zero-carbon shipping goals.
READ: Hydrogen and ammonia lead the charge for industry decarbonisation
Unlike other alternative fuels, ammonia does not release carbon dioxide when burned, and can meet stricter greenhouse gas emission standards in the future.
Its stability and relatively reasonable energy-to-volume ratio also create conditions for long-distance transportation.
The application of ammonia fuel in ultra-large container ships (ULCS) and in the wider shipping sector is crucial for the industry to achieve its emission reduction targets set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from ships.
