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.