Ammonia-powered container ship design awarded approval in principle

The Maersk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping (MMMCZCS) led the development team which comprise experts from A.P. Møller-Maersk, MAN Energy Solutions, Deltamarin, Eltronic FuelTech, ABS and Lloyd’s Register.

 The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore and the Danish Maritime Authority participated in project risk assessment.

Safety was a top priority in development of the design which also focused on minimising loss of cargo capacity. Ammonia as a marine fuel requires about 2.4 times more space than heavy fuel oil. A fuel tank capacity of 4,000 cu metres was chosen by the project partners as being suitable for a full roundtrip or relevant trades for feeder ships of this size.

Partners in the project contributed with their areas of expertise while the detailed design was developed by ship design house, Deltamarin. Eltornic FuelTech designed the ship’s fuel supply system.

Claus W. Graugaard, Chief Technology Officer, Onboard Vessel Solutions, at MMMCZCS, said: “To unlock the potential of sustainable ammonia as an alternative low emission marine fuel, we must carefully address the safety issues on board and ensure a safe and healthy working environment for our seafarers and people in ports. The AiP of the new ship design is a major milestone on this journey as it demonstrates that safety criteria for the application of ammonia as the main fuel is within tolerable levels of industry safety management practices.”

Related:Japanese alliance aims at developing ammonia supply chain in Hokkaido

An AiP is not a regulatory approval. These are issued by flag states.