Ammonia-Fueled Vessel Design Receives Approval in Principle

In a significant step towards environmentally friendly shipping, an innovative ship design for an ammonia-fueled 3,500 TEU container vessel has received Approval in Principle (AiP) from classification societies, the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and Lloyd’s Register (LR).

The design was developed by a cross-industry task force led by the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping, and includes contributions from A.P. Moller-Maersk, MAN Energy Solutions, Deltamarin, and Eltronic FuelTech. The approval marks a crucial milestone in the quest to establish ammonia as a viable alternative marine fuel.

“To unlock the potential of sustainable ammonia as an alternative, low-emissions marine fuel, we must carefully address the safety issues on board and ensure a safe and healthy working environment for our seafarers and people in ports,” said Claus W. Graugaard, Chief Technology Officer, Onboard Vessel Solutions at the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping.

“The fact that we have both ABS and LR granting this AiP in parallel is a testimony to the robustness of the design and to the iterative risk assessment and systematic risk management intelligence that have gone into it.”

The approved design details a commercially viable and safe ammonia-fueled 3,500 TEU container feeder, with a focus on ensuring crew safety and minimizing loss of cargo capacity. The vessel’s ammonia tank capacity, measuring 4,000 m3, is enough for a full roundtrip of relevant trades. The contributions from the various partners in the taskforce, from ship design to engine manufacturing and safety, were crucial in the design and risk assessment process.

“This project is an important step on the road to the wider adoption of ammonia as a marine fuel by the industry,” said John McDonald, ABS President and COO.

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