Japanese consortium to jointly develop ammonia-fuelled commercial vessel
- Published
by Admin
Japanese shipbuilder Imabari Shipbuilding on Thursday (30 April) said it has formed a consortium with engineering firm Mitsui E&S Machinery, trading house Itochu Corporation and its energy trading arm Itochu Enex, Japanese classification society ClassNK, Man Energy Solutions, to jointly develop a ammonia-fuelled commercial vessel.
The consortium says it hopes to pull together resources in order to achieve 2030 and 2050 environmental targets of building zero emissions vessels as early as possible, and it sees ammonia as a viable alternative fuel.
It notes that this endeavour is also supported by the Japan Business Federation to not only develop ammonia-fuelled commercial vessels but also to create an integrated system for the Japanese maritime industry that includes ammonia supply facilities, vessel operation and industry-wide implementation procedures.
The role of each company in the development of the project is as follows:
| Company | Role |
| Imabari Shipbuilding | Vessel development and design |
| Man Energy Solutions | Ammonia-fuelled engine development and provide basic data necessary for the design of ships equipped with the ammonia engines. |
| Mitsui E & S Machinery | Participating in the verification of safety and reliability of the entire life cycle of the propulsion system, including manufacturing and trial operation in factories, from the standpoint of the supplier. |
| ClassNK | Conducting third-party safety assessments based on its expertise in professional safety assessments and established standards cultivated as a vessel safety inspection agency. |
| Itochu Enex | Supplying the ammonia fuel and establishing an ammonia fuel distribution network |
| Itochu Corporation | Jointly develop a supply facility for ammonia fuel for maritime use with Itochu Enex |
Related: ClassNK grants AiP to a concept design of an LNG-fuelled capsize bulker
Related: Class NK awards AiP to Imabari Shipbuilding for LPG dual fueled bulk carrier
Published: 4 May, 2020
