ABS awards US first AiP for ammonia bunkering vessel design

American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), Fleet Management Limited, Sumitomo Corporation and TOTE Services on Thursday (19 September) announced the United States’ first Approval in Principle (AiP) for the initial design of ammonia bunkering articulated tug-barge (AB-ATB) from ABS. 

AT-ATB is a vessel that consists of a tug and a barge that are joined together to form a single unit, and is intended for providing ammonia to a vessel as a fuel.

The AB-ATB was designed to be compatible with vehicle carriers including Aurora Class PCTC recently delivered to Höegh Autoliners, the Norwegian shipping company, for bunkering operation at the ports of Jacksonville, Florida, and Brunswick, Georgia as well as a 15000 TEU ammonia-fuelled container vessel whose concept design was created by MMMCZCS, for bunkering operation at the port of Savannah, Georgia.

The award ceremony was held in Houston at Gastech 2024, the world’s largest energy conference. 

The approval was achieved in cooperation with the RADIUS consortium, consisting of ABS, A.P. Moller – Maersk A/S, Fleet Management Limited, Georgia Ports Authority, Maersk Mc-Kinney Moller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping (MMMCZCS), Sumitomo Corporation, and TOTE Services. 

The barge design and engineering were completed by VARD Marine US, Inc. (VARD). 

The parties said the design approval is an important step on the maritime industry’s decarbonisation journey where ammonia-fuelled vessels are seen as one of multiple fuel pathways.

The Consortium, established in March 2023, has been conducting a feasibility study on ship-to-ship bunkering of reduced emission ammonia along the U.S. East Coast. This includes the development of a cost-effective supply chain for the procurement, transportation, and storage of reduced emission ammonia fuel, as well as the design of AB-ATB and related supply chain infrastructure.

The parties expect this design approval to motivate and encourage the maritime industry to develop and order such types of ammonia-fuelled vessel. This approval is a significant milestone in accelerating the potential of the first US ammonia bunkering vessel, targeting commercial operations by 2030.

Panos Koutsourakis, ABS Vice President, Global Sustainability, as a representative of the consortium, said: “This is an exciting milestone for our feasibility study and project teammates. Having an approved basic design for the AB-ATB is another step toward maturity for ammonia as a marine fuel.”

“ABS is committed to supporting the maritime industry as it pursues low-carbon, more sustainable operations. We have extensive insight into the development and application of ammonia as a marine fuel, and we are proud to share our learnings with this team.”

Photo credit: Sumitomo Corporation
Published: 20 September, 2024