NYK starts ammonia conversion of LNG-powered tugboat

Japanese shipping company Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) has started the conversion of one of its LNG-powered tugboats to run on ammonia.

PHOTO: Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha-owned LNG-fuelled tugboat Sakigake will be modified to run on ammonia. NYK

Renewable energy producer IHI Power, Japan’s Nihon Shipyard and Japan Engine Corporation will collaborate with NYK to undertake the conversion.

NYK confirmed the tugboat's entire LNG propulsion system, including the LNG-fuelled engine and fuel tank, will be replaced with a new ammonia-fuelled propulsion system "to further reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions".

The four-stroke ammonia-fuelled engine was tested at IHI's Ota Works in Gunma Prefecture in April this year. The test results confirmed almost no nitrous oxide emissions, which has a greenhouse effect 300 times greater than CO2, as well as unburnt ammonia, IHI said in May.

Furthermore, no ammonia leakage was observed from any of the demonstration equipment during operation or after shutdown, it added.

The 280-millimeter (mm) bore ammonia engine is suitable for coastal vessels, including tug boats.

The conversion of the tugboat, Sakigake, will be completed by 2024 at the Oppama factory of Keihin Dock. NYK Group subsidiary Shin-Nippon Kaiyosha operates the vessel in Tokyo Bay.

The modification project was selected for the Green Innovation Fund sponsored by Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), NYK added.

By Konica Bhatt

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