NYK group company NYK Bulk and Project Carriers (NBP), has announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Oshima Shipbuilding and Sumitomo Corporation to study, design and construct the world’s first dual-fuel ammonia-ready Handymax bulk carrier that can reduce CO2 emissions to zero.
The MoU follows a previous agreement about one year previously in which Corporación Nacional del Cobre de Chile (Codelco), a Chilean state-owned copper producing company and NBP agreed to jointly study the decarbonised transportation of copper products.
The vessel would be the first of a fleet of 10 to 15 dedicated to the transport of copper products that NBP would operate from Chile to the Far East. Codelco and NBP have expressed the desire that the vessel will be developed and built by Oshima, which is willing to study this project together with Codelco and NBP.
Máximo Pacheco, Chairman Codelco said: “For me, it is a great honour to be here and to see how far we have progressed over this short period. What was an ambitious idea less than one year ago is a reality today. At Codelco, we have the duty to be a leader for more sustainable mining for our country, and this project is a great signal to the other actors as we work to make Chile the first country in the world to demonstrate how an energy transition and GHG emissions reduction are possible.”
Masashi Suda, President, NBP added: “Based on the memorandum of understanding signed with Codelco on November 24, 2022, NBP has been studying the decarbonisation of the oceangoing transportation of copper products with the cooperation of all concerned parties. After about a year of deliberations, NBP and Codelco have concluded a memorandum of understanding with Oshima Shipbuilding for the research, design, and construction of a Handymax bulk carrier equipped with a dual-fuel engine that can use ammonia as fuel in addition to heavy oil. This is a concrete first step towards a decarbonised society for Codelco and NBP. NBP will continue to contribute to global decarbonisation together with its customers.”
