CLASSIFICATION society American Bureau of Shipping awarded an approval in principle for an ammonia fuelled container vessel.
ABS awarded the AIP to Seaspan Corporation and Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping for an ammonia-fuelled 15,000-TEU container vessel designed by Foreship.
Last year, Seaspan and the MMMCZCS jointly initiated a project to better understand the challenges and opportunities of designing a large ammonia-fuelled container vessel.
A concept design for a 15,000-TEU container vessel was developed in collaboration with ship designer Foreship and classification society ABS. The project included defining the safety objective, impact of ammonia as a fuel on vessel performance, completion of a hazard identification (HAZID) qualitative risk assessment and development of the concept design. Documentation included a fuel range and endurance analysis, ammonia tank and system location assessments, general arrangement, main machinery and electrical system design, and initial vessel stability calculations.
The project is connected to the Singapore Ammonia Bunkering Feasibility Study (SABRE) consortium, focusing on developing and demonstrating an ammonia supply chain in Singapore. Phase 1 performed an end-to-end technical and commercial feasibility study of ammonia bunkering in Singapore along with a preliminary ammonia bunkering vessel design. Phase 2 is investigating how to mature the commercial feasibility so that contractual terms across the supply chain are prepared and can be executed to establish an ammonia bunkering operation in Singapore. The 15,000-TEU vessel was designed as a potential receiver of ammonia fuel from bunker vessels currently under design and development.
Seaspan Corporation senior vice-president assets and technology Peter Jackson said this is a good example of industry collaboration, where leading maritime organisations are working together and taking tangible steps to decarbonise the maritime industry.
“Ammonia is a very promising future marine fuel and this project is a vital and significant step in the development and realisation of ammonia powered containerships,” he said.
