Japan’s shipping giant NYK has joined forces with Monohakobi Technology Institute and Finnish engineering firm Elomatic to develop a design for an ammonia-ready LNG-fueled vessel.
NYK and Elomatic would work between September 2021 and January 2022 to “identify and explore challenges to the actual design and construction of ammonia-fuel ready LNG-fueled vessel (ARLFV),” according to a statement by NYK.
Also, the design will allow the conversion of the ship to use ammonia as a marine fuel.
NYK said the design will help as a “next bridge solution” to cover the transition of the marine fuel from LNG to ammonia.
Moreover, the duo would release the results of the development in a video with accompanying 3D models in January next year, at the time of the project’s completion.
Currently, NYK promotes upgrading its fleet via the use of LNG, a low-carbon marine fuel, to achieve its mid- and long-term environmental targets.
The shipping giant is heavily investing in LNG and it recently confirmed plans to order 12 LNG-powered pure truck and car carriers at two compatriot yards.
Including these additional 12 new vessels, NYK’s total number of LNG-fueled PCTCs would increase to 20 by fiscal 2028 through a total investment of about 200 billion yen ($1.81 billion).
In addition, NYK also participates in activities such as the project for safe use of ammonia as marine fuel that aim at “launching zero-emission ships that run on such low-environmental-load marine fuels as ammonia or hydrogen in future,” NYK said.