DNV to study ammonia bunkering safety in Singapore

Shipping classification society DNV will lead a study to define safety and operational guidelines for ammonia bunkering and run a set of trials across two locations in Singapore.

PHOTO: Vessels in Singapore, the world’s largest bunkering hub and busiest container port. DNV

DNV has seen burgeoning interest in ships powered by ammonia or built to be ready to run on ammonia in the future.

Ammonia-ready means that a vessel meets operational safety requirements and that its main engines can be converted to run on ammonia. DNV gave its first ammonia-ready notation to Hoegh Autoliners new car carrier series in April last year.

Ammonia has generally been produced with hydrocarbons as so-called “grey” ammonia.

Ammonia can be produced without carbon emissions either in its “blue” form through carbon capture and storage, or “green” form produced with renewable energy.

But while blue and green ammonia have been put forward as some of the most promising alternative bunker fuels to decarbonise future voyages, major safety concerns remain around toxicity and safe handling of ammonia, as well as its corrosiveness in fuel tanks.

“The safe handling of ammonia is one such gap which urgently needs to be closed, given the threat it poses to seafarers and ships unless properly managed,” says DNV Maritime chief executive Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen.

DNV will be joined by Singaporean infrastructure developer Surbana Jurong and academic institution Singapore Maritime Academy (SMA) for the study, which will also recommend ammonia bunkering locations, look at different bunkering methods like truck-to-ship and ship-to-ship and forecast ammonia bunker demand.

The classification society expects to see ammonia fuel tests on ships by 2025 and commercial consumption by 2030.