Asia/Pacific News
Fuel Tank Capacity Looms Large in Ammonia Dual-fuel Ship Design
The size of the fuel tank represents a challenge when designing ships to run on ammonia.
According to Japanese shipping company Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha, the lower energy density of ammonia necessitates a bigger fuel tank compared, for example, to that required for liquified natural gas.
But the company is in the process of meeting this challenge as it completes an LNG/ammonia vessel design (ARLFV) to send out to shipyards and marine equipment manufactuers.
In addition to NYK, two other companies, MTI and Elomatic Oy, are driving the project.
"NYK has set a long-term target of net-zero emissions of greenhouse gas by 2050 for the NYK Group's oceangoing businesses," a NYK statement said.
"NYK is positioning LNG, a low-carbon marine fuel, as a bridge-solution until future zero-emission ships are realized, and has thus been expanding its fleet of LNG-fueled vessels," it added.
As well as fuel tank capacity, designers will have wrestled with the need for ventiliation when using ammonia as bunker fuel and the additional costs incurred when converting ships from LNG to ammonia.
