Ammonia-capable container ship design approved by class societies

The design of a 15,300 TEU ammonia-capable container ship has been approved by classification societies DNV and Lloyd’s Register (LR).

PHOTO: DNV awarding HHI an approval for its ammonia-capable container ship design. DNV

The container ship has been designed by South Korean shipbuilder HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI).

DNV said the ship design addresses challenges in using ammonia as a marine fuel, including the tank design, fire safety systems and ammonia release mitigation systems, and enhancing boil-off gas handling systems.

LR and HHI have developed a twin skeg design for the 365-metre-long vessel, featuring two small bore engines. The vessel has ammonia fuel tanks “positioned ahead of the engine room, far from the deckhouse, helping ensure safe fuel supply operations and better crew habitability,” LR said.

No big bore engines are capable of running on ammonia today. And ammonia's toxicity and corrosiveness pose significant concerns for prospective investors in ammonia-capable ships. Safety assessments are therefore crucial to garner more acceptance for ammonia as a marine fuel.

DNV has thoroughly examined fuel pipe leakage scenarios through gas dispersion analyses, before granting the approval. LR has reviewed its design to ensure it meets safety and efficiency standards.

“The result showed that hazardous areas were significantly reduced by the enhanced ammonia release mitigation system, enabling not only safer enclosed spaces but also safer working areas across the entire weather deck of the vessel,” DNV said.

LR is now assessing whether the ship's ammonia fuel tanks can be made with low-temperature steel, and it will look at how the structure of the ship responds to sloshing loads.

By Aparupa Mazumder

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