China State Shipbuilding Corporation’s (CSSC) Shanghai Merchant Ship Design and Research Institute (SDARI) recently obtained Approval in Principle (AiP) certificates from several classification societies for four vessel designs. 

Among the four is a 50,000 cubic metre (m3) ammonia bunkering vessel, which received AiP certificate from American Bureau of Shipping (ABS). 

It integrates liquid ammonia transportation and bunkering functions and can meet the long-distance transportation needs of liquefied gas goods such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and liquid ammonia. 

The ship is equipped with three IMO Type A independent liquid cargo tanks, and uses zero-carbon ammonia fuel to drive the main engine and generator, meeting the IMO greenhouse gas emission reduction strategy and actively responding to the latest greenhouse gas intensity (GFI) requirements of the 83rd meeting of the IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 83). 

The entire ship is equipped with two independent 1,000 m3 deck liquid ammonia storage tanks, taking into account the ammonia fuel endurance requirements under multi-cargo loading and unloading, significantly improving operational economy and flexibility. 

In response to the needs of bunkering operations, it is specially equipped with a retractable bow thruster, side thruster and adjustable propellers to meet ABS’ DPS-1 notation and adapt to the complex port environment of bunkering operations. 

Meanwhile, a dual-fuel LNG/hydrogen-powered Ultramax bulker design and a 30,000 GT Roll-On/Roll-Off Passenger (ROPAX) ship designed to sail in the Mediterranean Sea received AiP certificates from RINA. 

SDARI also received AiP from Lloyd’s Register (LR) for a 113,000 dwt ammonia dual-fuel liquid cargo ship. The optimised propulsion system, specially configured with an ammonia dual-fuel power system and a wind-assisted propulsion system, is expected to save more than 10% energy, especially at low speeds. 

Photo credit: Shanghai Merchant Ship Design and Research Institute
Published: 12 June, 2025

A new report by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) on Thursday (5 June) has identified six Brazilian ports as candidate hubs for renewable marine fuel bunkering. 

The report analysed the readiness of Brazilian ports to support the production, bunkering, and deployment of renewable hydrogen and its derivatives, such as renewable ammonia and renewable methanol, laying the groundwork for establishing green shipping corridors.

Three are public ports—Santos, Rio Grande, and Itaqui—and three are privately owned ports—Pecem, Navegantes, and Porto do Açu. Santos, the largest port in Latin America, ranked high in four out of the five criteria assessed for readiness, though it had only a moderate level of commitment to decarbonisation due to a lack of ongoing or planned offshore wind projects. 

Porto do Açu and Itaqui scored high on all criteria except for access to potential offshore wind energy. Public ports generally scored higher than private ports, especially for their infrastructure, strategic location, and connectivity. On a scale of 1 to 5, the six candidates chosen for further assessment had weighted scores that ranged from 3.5 to 4.4.

Based on 2023 ship traffic, the report also identified 10 routes connecting the six candidates to both the domestic market and key international markets. Among the 10 sample routes moving key commodities, including iron ore and container cargo, between the candidate ports and ports around the world, the report estimated that five routes could be completed with direct use of renewable liquid hydrogen in a fuel cell without refuelling en route. The report found all routes could be completed without refuelling if ships use renewable hydrogen-derived ammonia and methanol in internal combustion engines. 

To successfully complete all 10 routes, with at least one ship on each route, a total energy of 1,785 tonnes of hydrogen is required if the minimum consumption of renewable fuel is considered across all routes. 

“Conversely, if we look at the maximum consumption of renewable fuel for all 10 routes, the total energy requirement is 1,911 tonnes. This translates to a demand for renewable electricity of 82 to 92 GWh,” the report said.

ICCT said the pre-feasibility assessment demonstrates the significant potential of Brazilian ports to serve as renewable marine fuel hubs, offering both economic and environmental benefits. 

“By quantifying the potential bunkering demand and analysing port readiness, this study provides a guideline for future investments and policy initiatives aimed at accelerating the decarbonisation of maritime shipping,” it added.

Note: The full report titled ‘The potential of Brazilian ports as renewable marine fuel bunkering hubs’ can be found here. 

Photo credit: Jeff Doria on Unsplash
Published: 12 June, 2025

Classification society ABS on Friday (6 June) said an approval in principle (AiP) was issued to Pherousa Shipping for its ammonia cracking technology onboard ships, featuring proton exchange membrane fuel cells and fuel gas supply system (FGSS) for fully electric propulsion.

The emissions-free propulsion system is targeted for application on Pherousa’s Ultramax 64,000 dwt bulk carrier to transport copper, a key material in solar panels and electric cars, in fully emissions free vessels.

Patrick Ryan, ABS Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, said: “We are seeing rapid innovation and new developments around ammonia as an alternative fuel, whether as a carrier of hydrogen or as a fuel in its own right.

“Cracking ammonia to produce hydrogen for fuel cells is one that has the potential to accelerate the energy transition to low or no carbon emissions in the maritime industry. ABS is proud to share our deep insight into the safety aspects of ammonia as a marine fuel in supporting development of this capability.”

Hans Bredrup, Chairman of Pherousa AS, said: “The approval in principle from ABS marks another important milestone for us in the development of a zero-emission scalable solution for the maritime industry. 

“It allows us to continue the design and construction of our concept series of 64,000 dwt bulk carriers earmarked for the copper industry, to ensure that this specific commodity, so essential to global decarbonisation, can be delivered across oceans without any carbon footprint at all.”

Key partners in the project include the designers Deltamarin, the flag state Marshall Islands, Babcock International Group, which supplies the FGSS, as well as Metacon, the technology developer and shareholder of Pherousa.

Photo credit: ABS
Published: 10 June, 2025