ClassNK to collaborate on ammonia bunkering

ClassNK, Consort Bunkers Pte Ltd, Daihatsu Diesel Mfg. Co.,Ltd., Daikai Engineering Pte. Ltd., and SeaTech Solutions International (S) Pte Ltd. have concluded a Memorandum of Understanding concerning a joint study on an ammonia fueled ammonia bunkering tanker. The MOU was signed by representatives of all five parties with the presence of an official from Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore at the “Gastech2023” held in Singapore.

 Amid expectation for using ammonia fuel in pursuit of shipping decarbonization, bunkering ships for ammonia fueled ships will play an essential role in the supply chain. As such ships are also anticipated to use ammonia as their fuel, the development of ships that can not only transport and supply ammonia to other ships but also use it as fuel in a safe and efficient manner addressing ammonia-related risks, including its toxicity to humans and corrosiveness to materials.

 Consort Bunkers operating bunkering ships in Singapore, the world’s largest bunkering port, Daihatsu Diesel developing alternative fuel engines including ammonia, Daikai Engineering providing sales of machinery and marine equipment and after-sales service in the Southeast Asian region; ClassNK, a class society involved in the safety assessment of ships; and SeaTech Solutions International designing ships equipped with alternative fuel engines, have all agreed to jointly study the concept design of the ammonia fueled ammonia tanker and the issuance of relevant Approval in Principle. Under the MOU witnessed by Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, the five parties will pool their expertise and collaborate toward the realization of decarbonized shipping.

 Hayato Suga, Executive Vice President, ClassNK said, “It is our great pleasure to work together with prominent partners to fill in the pieces for advancing decarbonization of shipping. ClassNK will strive to fulfill its role, reviewing the safety and integrity of the developed design in accordance with our rules related to ammonia transport and its use as fuel, and hope to materialize the outcome as our AiP.”

 Yeo Siok Keak, Director/General Manager, Consort Bunkers Pte Ltd said, “We are much honored to be part of this collaboration with the various esteemed partners on the development of ammonia bunkering. Consort is looking forward to rendering full support in the collaborative study for concept design and AiP initiative towards the realization of decarbonized shipping.”

 Yoichi Hayata, Director, Technical Management Division, Daihatsu Diesel Mfg. Co., Ltd. said, “Recently, there has been an urgent need to reduce GHG emissions from ships, and the use of ammonia as a zero-carbon fuel has been attracting attention, however, there are issues with combustibility and safety. We have already conducted basic tests on ammonia, and have obtained knowledge on combustion characteristics, trends in exhaust gas emissions, precautions for handling, etc. Utilizing this knowledge, we will join forces with MOU member companies and contribute to the cooperation in acquiring ammonia bunkering vessel AiP and the development of GHG reduction technology.”

 Mikio Kaneda, Managing Director, Daikai Engineering Pte. Ltd., said, “We are both honoured and excited to be part of this collaborative venture. The maritime industry stands at the cusp of a transformative era, and our joint effort to develop an ammonia-fueled vessel embodies our collective commitment to sustainable innovation. Together, we are not just envisioning a greener future; we are actively working to make it a reality.”

 Govinder Singh Chopra, Managing Director, SeaTech Solutions International (S) Pte Ltd. said, “SeaTech is committed to the MPA initiative for the Net Zero decarbonization of Singapore Harbour Vessels. I am looking forward to embarking on this new chapter of sustainable innovation with Consort Bunkers, ClassNK, Daihatsu Diesel and Daikai. We have formalized our commitment with the signing of this MOU for the AiP of the Ammonia Bunkering Vessel design, gearing up the Singapore Bunker Industry for safe ammonia bunkering. Together, we are paving the way for a greener, safer, and more efficient maritime sector.”

 Capt M Segar, Assistant Chief Executive (Operations), Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, said , “MPA welcomes studies, pilots, and collaborations that contribute to the maritime sector’s decarbonisation efforts. Joint studies such as the one under this MOU, are useful in bringing together the collective expertise and experience of various leading stakeholders to deepen the industry’s knowledge and confidence in handling the new future fuels, and to accelerate the development of future fuel solutions to meet the revised IMO GHG emission ambitions for international shipping”.

Source: ClassNK.