ClassNK greenlights K Line’s ammonia-fuelled car carrier design

Japanese shipping major K Line and compatriot firm Shin Kurushima Dockyard have received an approval in principle (AiP) from classification society ClassNK for a concept design of an ammonia-fuelled car carrier.

As disclosed, in this joint project, Shin Kurushima Dockyard, ClassNK and K Line formulated a potential risk assessment and safety measures for using ammonia as a fuel. Based on the safety evaluation of ammonia fuel, the companies worked on the development of a ship that can both reduce environmental impact and meet actual operational requirements.

In October this year, the Japanese giant ITOCHU Corporation, NS United Kaiun Kaisha, Nihon Shipyard and Mitsui E&S Machinery to apply for the “Green Innovation Fund Project / Development Project for Next-Generation Ships / Development of Ammonia-Fueled Ships“.

Under the project, which received funding from Japan’s largest public management organization New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), K line will conduct an operational demonstration of an ammonia-fueled ship.

As ammonia fuel does not emit carbon dioxide (CO2) during combustion, it is attracting attention as a next-generation marine fuel that will contribute to the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) strategic goal of GHG reduction by 2050, which is to reduce total GHG emissions by 50% from the 2008 level.

According to the predictions from the International Energy Agency (IEA), it will account for around 45% of global energy demand for shipping in 2050.

K Line has revised a part of its long-term environmental guideline, “K LINE Environmental Vision 2050”, and has set a new goal for 2050 ” to achieve net zero GHG emissions”. The company also launched a new department focusing on businesses and projects for carbon neutrality including renewable energy.

“The world is facing an urgent need to strengthen its measures to climate change, and governments and industries are accelerating their efforts to achieve net zero GHG emissions in 2050. Under such circumstances, our group is challenging to achieve a higher goal of “Net Zero GHG Emissions in 2050″, and this research is one of the initiatives that will lead to the goal in 2050,” K Line concluded.