Shipping company NYK, energy company JERA, and chemicals company Resonac Holdings have signed an agreement to jointly study the supply of ammonia as fuel to ships.
As part of the Green Innovation Fund Project of Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organisation (NEDO), NYK is conducting research and development of a tugboat equipped with a domestic ammonia-fuelled engine (the A-Tug) together with other partner companies. As part of this initiative, in conjunction with the completion of the A-Tug scheduled for June 2024, the partnership is working together to realise the first safe and secure supply of fuel ammonia to ships.
The joint study has the following aims:
- Establishment of safe operation methods for supplying ammonia as marine fuel
- Establishment of a system to transport and receive ammonia as marine fuel to and from the port area
- Lobbying relevant authorities to formulate rules on supplying ammonia as a marine fuel
As the energy shift towards a decarbonised society accelerates, the shipping industry is facing the urgent task of reducing GHG emissions, and research and development is underway to convert marine fuels from conventional heavy oil to LNG and next-generation zero-emission fuels such as hydrogen and ammonia. Since ammonia does not emit CO2 when combusted, it is expected to be a next-generation fuel that contributes to the prevention of global warming. Furthermore, by utilising CO2-free hydrogen as the raw material for ammonia, achieving zero emissions is possible, considering the fuel’s life cycle.
Currently, there are no examples of bunkering ammonia as marine fuel for ships equipped with ammonia-fuelled engines, and this joint study is expected to promote the use of ammonia as marine fuel in the shipping sector.
