Newbuilding

Singapore: Consort Bunkers and partners to develop ammonia bunkering tanker

Consort Bunkers, ClassNK, Daihatsu Diesel, Daikai Engineering, and SeaTech Solutions International signed a MoU concerning a joint study on an ammonia-fuelled ammonia bunkering tanker.

Published

3 years ago

September 12, 2023

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Singapore-based bunker supplier and logistics services provider Consort Bunkers Pte Ltd and four other organisations signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop an ammonia-fuelled ammonia bunkering tanker, according to classification society ClassNK on Friday (8 September).

Consort Bunkers, ClassNK, Daihatsu Diesel Mfg. Co.,Ltd., Daikai Engineering Pte. Ltd., and SeaTech Solutions International (S) Pte Ltd. agreed to jointly study the concept design of the tanker to achieve an approval in principle (AiP) from ClassNK.

The MoU was signed by representatives of all five parties in the presence of an official from Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) at Gastech 2023 held in Singapore.

Daihatsu Diesel develops alternative fuel engines including for ammonia, Daikai Engineering provides sales of machinery and marine equipment and after-sales service in the Southeast Asian region and SeaTech Solutions International designs ships equipped with alternative fuel engines.

Hayato Suga, Executive Vice President, ClassNK, said: “It is our great pleasure to work together with prominent partners to fill in the pieces for advancing decarbonization of shipping. 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, said, “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 decarbonized shipping.”

Yoichi Hayata, Director, Technical Management Division, Daihatsu Diesel Mfg. 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. 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, said: “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-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.”

Govinder Singh Chopra, Managing Director, SeaTech Solutions International, said: “SeaTech is committed to the MPA initiative for the Net Zero decarbonisation of Singapore Harbour Vessels. 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: “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.”

Photo credit: ClassNK
Published: 12 September, 2023

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