On August 23, NYK and IHI Power Systems Co., Ltd., in partnership with Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK), successfully completed the Sakigake, the world’s first ammonia-fueled vessel designed for commercial use.
Shin-Nippon Kaiyosha, a member of the NYK Group, will operate the Sakigake in tugboat services within Tokyo Bay during a three-month demonstration period. The Sakigake project originated in October 2021 under Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) Green Innovation Fund. To remind, on July 17, NYK supplied ammonia fuel to the vessel.
It focused on developing vessels equipped with domestically produced ammonia-fueled engines. The Sakigake is a converted version of an LNG-fueled tugboat initially launched in August 2015, which served in Tokyo Bay for eight years before being retrofitted with ammonia-fueled engines and undergoing successful sea trials.
Looking forward, NYK is collaborating with Japan Engine Corporation, Nihon Shipyard Co., Ltd., IHI Power Systems, and ClassNK to develop an ammonia-fueled medium gas carrier (AFMGC), expected to be delivered in November 2026.
