NYK and partners win ClassNK OK for ammonia FSRB

Japan’s shipping giant NYK and its partners Nihon Shipyard and IHI have secured an approval in principle from ClassNK for their ammonia floating storage and regasification barge (A-FSRB).

NYK said in a statement that this is the world’s first AiP for an A-FSRB.

In August last year, NYK signed a deal with the three firms for the commercialization of the barge.

An A-FSRB is an offshore floating facility that can receive and store ammonia. It gets the fuel in liquid form, regasifies it and sends it to a pipeline onshore, according to NYK.

The barge offers the advantages of shorter construction time and lower costs compared to onshore storage tanks and regasification plants.

In fact, NYK said that the partners expect the A-FSRB to speed up the adoption of fuel ammonia and contribute to its wider use as a “lower-environmental-impact next-generation fuel”.

Working with power firms

There are no international regulations for ammonia floating storage and regasification facilities.

NYK says that that the unique requirements of ammonia would have to be reflected in the design.

The firms conducted a risk identification of various contingencies and worked to identify technical issues from the initial study stage.

“A risk identification was conducted using the gap analysis method, which identifies differences between conventional ships and offshore floating facilities (heavy oil, LNG, etc.) and evaluates the impact of such differences,” NYK said.

As a result, the partners extracted items for future technical studies of possible accidental incidents and differences between conventional ships and offshore floating facilities and obtained the AiP from ClassNK.

According to NYK, the partners would continue to study the arrangement and introduction of A-FSRBs with electric power companies.

The partners expect power firms to be the main users of A-FSRBs.

Additionally, the parties would work on economic evaluation in parallel, NYK said.

Most Popular

Shell adds another LNG carrier to its fleet

A unit of UK-based LNG giant Shell has added another chartered liquefied natural gas carrier to its fleet.

Chevron, China’s ENN seal second LNG SPA

US energy giant Chevron has signed a second LNG sales and purchase agreement with Chinese independent gas distributor ENN.

Venture Global gets OK to introduce gas to final Plaquemines LNG block

US LNG exporter Venture Global LNG has received approval from the US FERC to introduce natural gas to the 18th and final liquefaction block at the Plaquemines LNG terminal in Louisiana as part of the plant’s commissioning process.

More News Like This

NYK, partners take delivery of QatarEnergy LNG carrier

Japan’s NYK and its partners K Line, Malaysia’s MISC, and China’s CLNG have taken delivery of a 174,000-cbm LNG carrier built under the massive QatarEnergy shipbuilding program.

Another QatarEnergy LNG carrier named in China

Chinese shipbuilder Hudong-Zhonghua hosted a naming ceremony for another LNG carrier built under the massive QatarEnergy shipbuilding program.

QatarEnergy LNG tanker wraps up trials in China

A 174,000-cbm LNG carrier built as part of the massive QatarEnergy shipbuilding program has completed its trials in China, according to Hudong-Zhonghua.

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.