Rhys BerryClassNK, Consort Bunkers, Daihatsu Diesel, Daikai Engineering, and SeaTech Solutions International have concluded a memorandum of understanding for a joint study on an ammonia fuelled 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 Gastech2023 held in Singapore.
In a statement issued today (8 September), the class society noted that, amid expectation for using ammonia fuel in pursuit of shipping’s decarbonisation, bunkering ships for ammonia fuelled ships ‘will play an essential role in the supply chain’.
‘It is our great pleasure to work together with prominent partners to fill in the pieces for advancing decarbonisation of shipping,’ said Hayato Suga, Executive Vice President, ClassNK. ‘ClassNK will strive to fulfil 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 materialise the outcome as our AiP.’
Yeo Siok Keak, Director/General Manager, Consort Bunkers, added: ‘We are much honoured 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 realisation of decarbonised shipping.’
Yoichi Hayata, Director, Technical Management Division, Daihatsu Diesel, noted that the use of ammonia as a zero-carbon fuel has been attracting attention, but there are ‘issues with combustibility and safety’.
Hayata said: ‘We have already conducted basic tests on ammonia, and have obtained knowledge on combustion characteristics, trends in exhaust gas emissions, precautions for handling, etc. Utilising 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, commented: ‘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-fuelled 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, highlighted that his company is committed to the MPA initiative for the Net Zero decarbonisation of Singapore Harbour Vessels.
Chopra said: ‘I am looking forward to embarking on this new chapter of sustainable innovation with Consort Bunkers, ClassNK, Daihatsu Diesel and Daikai. We have formalised 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 joint studies such as the one under the MoU, were: ‘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.’
Image: ClassNK
Ian Taylor
