Korean consortium to develop ammonia STS bunkering safety guidelines

The consortium seeks to establish standardised safety procedures and develop international standards for ship-to-ship (STS) ammonia bunkering.

PHOTO: Concept design of an ammonia-fuelled container ship. Yara Clean Ammonia

The Korean Registry (KR), Liberian Registry (LR) and maritime firms have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the initiative. Other partners include HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE), HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HD HHI) and KSS Line. 

As part of the initiative, HD KSOE will carry out risk assessments in line with international industry standards. HD HHI and KSS Line will bring in their expertise in alternative fuel-powered vessels and ammonia carriers to evaluate controlled zones and safety procedures for ammonia STS bunkering. 

KR will verify the compliance of these safety procedures and issue an Approval in Principle (AIP) certificate. The Liberian Registry will further review the validity of these safety procedures.

“Just as we observed with the initial adoption of LNG STS bunkering, it is critical to establish regulations and procedures for ammonia as well,” said KIM Jungsik, managing director of LR’s Korea office.

By Manjula Nair

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