3,500 TEU and ammonia propulsion: a group of maritime players around Deltamarin, two classification societies and a shipping company have developed a new design for a feeder ship.
The Finnish company – a subsidiary of Chinese shipbuilder Avic Weihai – claims to have reached “a new milestone in the design of ammonia-powered ships”. Deltamarin has worked together with a number of well-known partners from the maritime industry. These include the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping (MMMCZCS), the Maersk shipping group, Eltronic FuelTech, the engine manufacturer Everllence, formerly known as MAN Energy Solutions, and the classification societies Lloyd’s Register (LR) and American Bureau of Shipping (ABS).
The idea behind this rather broad cooperation is to address various critical technical and safety considerations that are necessary to qualify ammonia as a viable marine fuel across the entire value chain.
It addresses both the key technical design factors for ammonia-powered vessels – such as tank capacity and the arrangement of key components – and the essential safety barriers required to make the vessel safe for the crew. These safety measures include physical separation of ammonia compartments, safe venting distances, physical barriers, drainage systems, water filters and ammonia release management systems (ARMS).
This was validated by a comprehensive hazard identification study (HAZID), a hazard and operability study (HAZOP) and a quantitative risk assessment (QRA), which led to two approvals in principle from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and Lloyd’s Register (LR), confirming the technical suitability of the design.
“This concept represents an important step in moving beyond the rhetoric and addressing the real, technical issues associated with ammonia as a marine fuel. Through a transparent, design-led approach, we have shown that with the right safety measures built in from the outset, ammonia-powered ships can be a viable and safe way to decarbonize shipping,” said Evangelos Fragkoulis, Head of Ship Design at MMMCZCS.
The 3,500 TEU feeder design not only offers practical solutions, but also helps to build confidence in the industry by turning uncertainty into technical reality.
“We are proud to have been able to support the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping on its journey to decarbonize shipping by using ammonia as a fuel. The excellent cooperation with all project partners resulted in a ship design that offers a high level of safety, which has been verified by multiple and comprehensive risk assessments. These in-depth safety assessments also served as a successful platform for the ship design, fuel system and product development,” says Peter Kondratjeff, project manager and naval architect at Deltamarin.
