Ammonia-fueled car carrier design wins ClassNK AiP

Written by Nick Blenkey
Ammonia fueled car carrier

Ammonia: It's toxic, it's corrosive but it doesn't emit CO2 when burned and K-Line has plans to fuel this car carrier with it.

ClassNK has issued an Approval in Principle (AiP) to Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (K-Line) and shipbuilder Shin Kurushima Dockyard Co. Ltd. for their jointly-developed design for an ammonia-fueled car carrier.

Since it does not emit CO2 when burned, ammonia is high on the list of future fuels favored for shipping decarbonization. However, major issues include that it is both toxic and corrosive. While international standards for using ammonia as a ship fuel have yet to be developed, in August ClassNK published its “Guidelines for Ships Using Alternative Fuels.” These address how to minimize the risks presented by ammonia to ships, , crew, and environment by stipulating requirements for installation, controls, and safety devices.

ClassNK, along with K-Line and Shin Kurushima Dockyard, assessed and investigated the car carrier design’s safety measures against the potential leakage risks of ammonia. The knowledge gained from this investigation was incorporated into the design, which was then reviewed in line with the “Guidelines for Ships Using Alternatve Fuels” and granted the AiP.

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