NYK has concluded a contract with its group company Keihin Dock Co to modify the LNG-fuelled tug ‘Sakigake’ to operate using ammonia as fuel.
Sakigake is operated in Tokyo Bay by NYK Group company Shin-Nippon Kaiyosha Corporation. The target date for ammonia operation will be some time in 2024. The initiative is part of a development programme for vessels equipped with a domestically produced ammonia-fuelled engine, which was initiated in October 2021 by NYK and IHI Power Systems as part of the Green Innovation Fund Project of the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).
Since no CO2 is emitted when ammonia is combusted, ammonia is viewed to have promise as a next-generation fuel that could mitigate shipping’s impact on global warming. In addition, it is said that zero emissions can be realised throughout the fuel life cycle by utilising CO2-free hydrogen as a raw material for production of ammonia.
By using ammonia as a fuel for ships, it will be possible to significantly reduce GHG emissions during voyages. Therefore, NYK and IHI are proceeding with R&D aiming for early social implementation. In the development process, various design challenges have been encountered in using ammonia as fuel, but the two companies overcame these challenges without changing the size of the conventional tug and received Approval in Principle (AiP) from ClassNK in July 2022.
NYK will begin modification in fiscal year 2023 with the aim of realising demonstration operations in the port of Yokohama in fiscal year 2024.
