LR has granted an Approval in Principle (AiP) to South Korean shipbuilder DSME and manufacturer MAN Energy Solutions for an ammonia-fueled 23,000 TEU ultra-large container ship design, marking a milestone for the development of ammonia propulsion ships.
The ship is part of a Joint Development Project (JDP) launched earlier this year by the two companies with a focus on developing ammonia propulsion ships. This is the first AiP to be awarded in Korea for an ammonia-fuelled ultra-large container ship design.
As part of the project, DSME generated the basic design of the ammonia propulsion system and MAN Energy Solutions was responsible for the development and specifications of the ammonia dual fuel propulsion engine, while LR reviewed the suitability and risks of the design which involved a hazard identification (HAZID) workshop, a hazard & operability analysis (HAZOP) workshop and a design review in accordance with the Approval of Risk-Based Design (ARBD) process, which led to Approval in Principle.
Working with Lloyd’s Register and MAN Energy Solutions, DSME has developed the zero carbon ammonia (NH3) fuelled container ship, a more complex design than that of other ship types because the ammonia fuel tank and much of the fuel facility and safety equipment is installed in an enclosed space…The successful results from the joint AiP can easily be applied to other type of vessels such as tankers, bulk carriers and gas carriers,
…commented Odin Kwon, Vice President / CTO at DSME.
The ammonia-fuelled 23,000 TEU ultra-large container ship is expected to be commercialized by 2025.
In late 2019, LP granted an AiP to Chinese shipbuilder Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Co. (DSIC), and MAN Energy Solutions for their ammonia-fuelled 23,000 TEU Ultra-Large Container Ship (ULCS) concept design, marking the first ammonia as fuel design of its kind in China.
These come at a time of wide industry discussions on the case of ammonia as a marine fuel, which could act as a path to shipping decarbonization. Ammonia has been recently studied as a significant solution for carbon free shipping, despite being highly toxic and corrosive, thanks to its capability to be stored in higher temperatures in a liquid form under atmospheric pressure and its low flammability.
Over the summer, five organizations, including Alfa Laval, Hafnia, Haldor Topsoe, Vestas and Siemens Gamesa, launched a report supporting that ammonia has the potential to power 30% of the global maritime fleet.
Ammonia is a fuel with a lot of potential and this container ship concept is yet another important step towards decarbonising the marine market,
…noted on the occasion Bjarne Foldager, Senior Vice President and Head of Two-Stroke Business at MAN Energy Solutions.
LR’s AiP certification is the first phase of the JDP. The second phase will involve further development of the design for meeting market demand in terms of commercial viability as well as technical and safety maturity.
