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ammonia fuelled ship designs — an ultra large containership and a tanker. For the containership, Lloyd’s Register (LR) has granted an AiP to Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) and MAN Energy Solutions (MES) for an ammonia fuelled 23,000teu ultra-large container ship design. This was a joint development project (JDP) launched earlier focusing on developing ammonia propelled ships. As part of the JDP, DSME generated the basic design of the ammonia propulsion system and MES was responsible for the development and specifications of the ammonia dual-fuel propulsion engine. LR said that its role was to review the suitability and risks of the design, which involved a 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 the AiP. The certification constitutes the first phase of the JDP. The second phase will involve further design development for meeting market demand in terms of commercial viability, as well as technical and safety maturity. The design is expected to be commercialised by 2025. LR has also granted an Approval in Principle (AiP) to Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) for its ammonia-fuelled tanker design. This was described as a key progress milestone in the JDP involving LR and SHI with industry partners MISC Berhad and MES, formed in January 2020. The JDP is aimed at commercialising the design by 2024. Elsewhere, classification society RINA and the Shanghai Merchant Ship Design & Research Institute (SDARI) have signed a JDP agreement to develop a ship design capable of being fuelled by either ammonia or methanol. SDARI is to focus on the ship concept development and design, while RINA will verify the compliance with the applicable rules, including those for the use of alternative fuels. The selected ship type is a tanker but the project, which is claimed to be the first to investigate using both methanol and ammonia in this type of
ALTERNATIVE FUELS: AMMONIA
vessel, will increase understanding of the application of both fuels within the shipping industry with opportunities to apply designs to different types of ships, RINA claimed. External support to the project will be provided by MES.
DANISH INITIATIVE
MES is also leading a Danish consortium on the development of ammonia as a marine fuel. This consortium is backed by Danish investment entity Innovation Fund Denmark and is aimed at developing a two-stroke, ammonia-fuelled engine (AEngine). It aims to specify and demonstrate an entire, marinepropulsion system that will pave the way for the first commercial order for an ammonia-fuelled vessel. As well as MES, the consortium also includes Danish fuel-system supplier Eltronic FuelTech, the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) and classification society DNV GL. The development is scheduled for 2024. Another initiative, the ShipFC project, was granted funding last year from the EU’s Research and Innovation programme Horizon 2020 under its Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCH JU). The offshore supply vessel Viking Energy, owned and operated by Eidesvik and on charter to Norwegian energy major Equinor, will be fitted with a 2MW ammonia fuel cell, allowing it to operate for at least 3,000 hours annually on clean fuel. Following the completion of this phase, the project will ramp up to delivering 20MW fuel cell solutions for oceangoing vessels. “The ultimate goal of the project is to demonstrate the feasibility of ammonia fuel cells for ocean going vessels and long sea voyages,” explains Dr Michail Cheliotis, research associate at the University of Strathclyde, lead partner in the project. “The huge difference in scope makes ShipFC much more interesting than just a replication of Viking Energy. The similarities basically end with ammonia, because a 20MW power plant requires significantly different treatment.” The project will involve three vessel types: a bulk carrier, an
offshore construction vessel and a containership. The technical and economic experience gained from the Viking Energy pilot project will be incorporated in a broader analysis of ammonia in the maritime sector and comparison with other alternative fuels. “Ammonia presents certain technical challenges, but even though it is corrosive, the safety trade-off between ammonia and hydrogen favours ammonia,” Dr Cheliotis says. “It is less explosive, requires less complex storage and transport solutions, and it is a well-known commodity from industry. Based on this experience, the necessary safeguards can be built in.” Experience with gas fuels will be a significant building block, he says. “We have seen that liquid ammonia is similar to liquefied gas in the handling process. Industry has a high level of maturity and an excellent track record in handling LNG and LPG, and this experience is proof that it can be done safely. “We will be looking at the entire life cycle of ammonia, from production to transport and bunkering. One of the ShipFC partners is a major supplier of ammonia, and we will be working together with them to address these issues,” he explains. ShipFC’s project partners are: » The University of Strathclyde (UK) and National Centre for Scientific Research Demokritis (GR) will assess safety criteria. » Norwegian members of the European consortium include NCE Maritime Cleantech, Eidesvik Shipping, Equinor, Prototech, Yara, and Wärtsilä Norway, responsible for fuel systems, ship’s design and stability, and vessel energy management. » Fraunhofer IMM will assist Prototech in the development and construction of the ammonia fuel cell system, while Persee will provide expertise on energy management controls and data. » Vessel owners are StarBulk Management (bulk carrier), North Sea Shipping (offshore construction vessel) and Capital Ship Management (container vessel).
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