Japan’s NYK to develop ammonia bunkering boom

Japan’s shipping giant NYK is joining forces with compatriot TB Global Technologies to develop Japan’s first bunkering boom for ammonia.

In that regard, the two firms signed a basic agreement on Wednesday to develop the device used to supply ammonia fuel between ships, according to a statement by NYK.

NYK and TBG will “significantly enhance the safety” of supplying ammonia, which is highly toxic, to ships by employing TBG’s technology to ensure that the liquid does not leak, it said.

TBG will receive from NYK data related to the development of its ammonia bunkering vessel (ABV), which received approval in principle (AiP) from ClassNK in September 2022.

NYK will also share with TBG the knowledge gained from Japan’s first LNG bunkering vessel, Kaguya, which is operated by Central LNG Marine Fuel Japan Corporation, an NYK affiliate, it said.

A bunkering boom is a device consisting of rigid pipes and hoses that connect a bunkering vessel to the other vessel to supply fuel.

It is highly durable because it is made of rigid pipe, and its swivel joints allow it to change direction freely, making it easy to operate, NYK said.

In this joint development, the two companies will employ TBG’s technology to prevent the liquid inside from leaking out when the bunkering boom is emergently released from a ship due to a natural disaster, thereby tackling the biggest challenge in ammonia fuel supply, i.e., preventing leakage, the shipping firm said.

Most Popular

Yang Ming books LNG-powered containerships in South Korea

Taiwan’s Yang Ming Marine Transport has decided to order LNG dual-fuel container vessels from South Korea's Hanwha Ocean as part of its ongoing fleet optimization plan.

Sabah to take stake in Petronas’ third FLNG

SMJ Energy, owned by the Sabah government, has signed a heads of agreement with Malaysian energy giant Petronas to take a 25 percent stake in the latter's third floating LNG production unit.

Japan’s LNG imports drop in June

Japan’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports dropped by 2.8 percent in June compared to the same month last year, according to provisional data released by the country’s Ministry of Finance.

More News Like This

Cameron LNG hits new milestone

Sempra Infrastructure, a unit of Sempra, and its partners have shipped the 1,000th cargo of liquefied natural gas from the Cameron LNG export plant in Louisiana since 2019.

QatarEnergy LNG carrier wraps up trials in China

A 174,000-cubic-meter liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier, built as part of QatarEnergy's massive shipbuilding program, has completed its trials in China, according to Hudong-Zhonghua.

NYK LNG carrier rescues 11 people in Atlantic Ocean

A liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier managed by a unit of Japan's shipping giant NYK rescued 11 Portuguese fishers in the Atlantic Ocean on June 22.

China’s Hudong-Zhonghua delivers its 50th LNG carrier

Chinese shipbuilder Hudong-Zhonghua has delivered its 50th liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier.