Japanese shipping giant NYK Line has revealed that “the world’s first” ammonia-powered ship for commercial use has been completed.
As disclosed, the ammonia-fueled tugboat Sakigake is part of a Green Innovation Fund Project initiated in October 2021 under Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO). The goal of the project was to develop vessels equipped with domestically produced ammonia-fueled engines.
To remind, NYK took delivery of a domestically manufactured ammonia-powered engine for the tug in February this year.
The project was finalized in cooperation with Japanese company IHI Power Systems and classification society ClassNK.
NYK’s company Shin-Nippon Kaiyosha will employ the vessel in tugboat operations in Tokyo Bay over a three-month demonstration period.
The predecessor, the LNG-fueled tugboat of the same name, was completed in August 2015 as the first LNG-fueled vessel in Japan.
After eight years of tug service in Tokyo Bay, the ship was docked at the NYK Group’s Keihin Dock for conversion to an ammonia-fueled vessel.
The main engine and other equipment were replaced with ammonia-fueled ones, and sea trials were conducted using ammonia as fuel. Once completed, the vessel took the name Sakigake. NYK hopes that it will be a pioneer of ammonia-fueled vessels.
Last month, Japanese company JERA conducted truck-to-ship bunkering of ammonia to the ammonia-powered tugboat. The operation was carried out under the fuel supply agreement that JERA concluded with NYK in late May 2024.
Meanwhile, as part of the development of vessels equipped with domestically produced ammonia-fueled engines, the shipping company is conducting research and development on an ammonia-fueled medium gas carrier (AFMGC) with Japan Engine Corporation, Nihon Shipyard, IHI Power Systems, and ClassNK.
This vessel is scheduled for delivery in November 2026.