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

Venture Global to introduce gas to tenth Plaquemines liquefaction block

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

Eni: third phase of YPF’s Argentina LNG project requires $20 billion investment

The third phase of YPF's Argentina LNG export project would require an investment of about $20 billion, according to Eni’s COO of global natural resources, Guido Brusco.

Kimmeridge’s Commonwealth LNG seeks expedited approval from FERC

Kimmeridge's Commonwealth LNG is seeking expedited final approval from the US FERC as it looks to make a final investment decision on its planned LNG export plant in Louisiana later this year.

More News Like This

QatarEnergy LNG carrier named in China

China’s Hudong-Zhonghua hosted a naming ceremony for one 174,000-cbm liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier built as part of the massive QatarEnergy shipbuilding program.

Hudong-Zhonghua launches LNG carrier

Chinese shipbuilder Hudong-Zhonghua has launched one 174,000-cbm liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier it is building for NYK and CNOOC.

VesselsValue: South Korea’s LNG carrier orderbook worth $71.3 billion

South Korean yards have 276 LNG carriers worth $71.3 billion on order, according to the newest data by Veson Nautical’s VesselsValue.

CPC awards contract for four Kaohsiung LNG storage tanks

Taiwan’s CPC Corp has awarded a contract to compatriot CTCI and a unit of Japan's IHI to build four 180,000-cbm liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage tanks at the planned import terminal in Kaohsiung.