LR Awards AIP for Ammonia-fueled 23,000 TEU Box Ship
A design for an ammonia-fueled 23,000 TEU ultra-large containership has received approval in principle (AIP) from classification society Lloyd’s Register (LR), marking a key milestone in a joint development project (JDP) with South Korean shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) and engine manufacturer MAN Energy Solutions to develop ammonia propulsion ships.
As part of the JDP launched earlier this year, 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. As classification society, LR’s role was to review the suitability and risks of the design which involved a hazard identification (HAZID) workshop, a hazard and operability analysis (HAZOP) workshop and a design review in accordance with the approval of risk-based design (ARBD) process, which led to AIP.
LR’s AIP certification, which follows another for an ammonia-fueled tanker design developed by South Korea's Samsung Heavy Industries and one for a 23,000 TEU box ship from China's Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Co. (DSIC), 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.
The ammonia-fueled 23,000 TEU ultra-large container ship is expected to be commercialized by 2025, according to LR.
Jin-Tae Lee, LR Marine and Offshore President for North East Asia, said the recent AIP is “another important step in this decade where concerted action is required to address shipping’s decarbonization.”
A number of projects to develop novel, emissions-slashing ammonia-fueled vessels have sprouted up as stakeholders consider cleaner-burning fuels and other zero-carbon options to meet the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) target to halve shipping’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from 2008 levels by 2050.
“DSME has focused on an environmentally-friendly vessel design in recognition of the IMO’s goals and in line with our vision to protect our planet, said Odin Kwon, Vice President and CTO at DSME, who adds the zero carbon ammonia (NH3) fueled containership is 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 types of vessels such as tankers, bulk carriers and gas carriers,” he continued. “We now just await the delivery of the ammonia-fueled engine from MAN Energy Solutions.”
Bjarne Foldager, Senior Vice President and Head of Two-Stroke Business at MAN Energy Solutions, said, “Ammonia is a fuel with a lot of potential, and this containership concept is yet another important step towards decarbonizing the marine market. MAN Energy Solutions’ strategy is to cooperate with external partners where possible to develop sustainable solutions. I believe that this collaboration with Lloyd’s Register and DSME is just the kind of environmental leadership that the market requires.”
