Classification society American Bureau of Shipping (ABS),Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore, and the Ammonia Safety and Training Institute (ASTI) on Monday (25 January) said they will be collaborating on a study of the potential of ammonia bunkering in Singapore, exploring supply, bunkering, and safety challenges with the alternative marine fuel.
Titled Ammonia as a Marine Fuel in Singapore – Supply Chain, Bunker Safety, and Potential Issues, the joint study will look at safety protocols and possible gaps in the supply chain of ammonia as a marine fuel, specifically bunkering for marine vessels.
ExxonMobil, Hoegh LNG, MAN Energy Solutions Singapore, Jurong Port, PSA Singapore and ITOCHU Group with their partners, are initial project partners, contributing technical information about marine fuel handling, vessel to vessel transfer and bunkering in the Port of Singapore.
“Ammonia is a fuel with significant potential for marine applications and ABS is leading the way in understanding challenges in the safe design and operation of ammonia-fueled vessels,” said Panos Koutsourakis, ABS Director of Sustainability Strategy.
“It is also clear that Singapore has the potential to play a critical role as a strategic downstream location to receive, store, consume or bunker ammonia. We are proud to be able to utilise our industry-leading experience with ammonia to contribute to understanding the opportunities and challenges presented by ammonia to the Port of Singapore.”
“This joint study is timely as it is aligned with NTU Singapore’s Maritime Energy & Sustainable Development (MESD) Centre of Excellence’s focus on alternative fuel research for the maritime industry, and ammonia is a key potential marine fuel,” added Professor Jasmine Lam Siu Lee, Director, Maritime Energy & Sustainable Development Centre of Excellence, NTU Singapore.
“We look forward to working together with ABS and ASTI, in a collaboration supported by the Singapore Maritime Institute, to jointly deepen the understanding on various aspects of ammonia’s maritime applications. The research effort is in tune with Singapore’s long-term maritime decarbonization strategy, contributing to a more sustainable Maritime Singapore.”
“Ammonia is set to play an important role in helping decarbonize the maritime industry and ASTI is very pleased to be part of this study. We are committed to contribute as much experience and information as we can regarding ammonia safety to this important project,” noted Gary W. Smith, ASTI President and CEO.
“We view this study as closely aligned with our own strategy of cooperating with external partners to develop sustainable technologies and believe ammonia to be a very interesting candidate as a zero-carbon fuel,” added Brian Østergaard Sørensen – Vice President and Head of R&D, Two-Stroke Business – at MAN Energy Solutions.
“A suitable engine technology is, of course, key and MAN Energy Solutions already has a convincing track-record in developing engines running on alternative fuels. Indeed, we aim to deliver the first ammonia-fueled, two-stroke engine in 2024.”
ABS stated it is supporting the industry with guidance on ammonia as fuel, including the Ammonia as Marine Fuel sustainability white paper, which evaluated the challenges in design and operation of ammonia-fueled vessels.
Related: Classification society ABS publishes whitepaper on using ammonia as a bunker fuel
Related: ABS grants AIP to Solid Oxide Fuel Cell tech developed by DSME to power VLCCs
Photo credit: Manifold Times
Published: 26 January, 2021
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