Partners collaborate to develop ammonia fueled ammonia bunkering tanker

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.

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:

"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."

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“