BV approves electric-propelled vessel design from Jiangnan Shipyard

Classification society Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore (BV) has granted Approval in Principle (AiP) to an electric-propelled very large ammonia carrier (VLAC) developed by Jiangnan Shipyard, a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC).

IMAGE: An illustration of an electric-propelled VLAC. ENGINE via ChatGPT

The vessel is designed around a medium-voltage DC hybrid-electric propulsion system that combines three power sources: ammonia-fuelled generators, an ammonia fuel-cell system and containerised battery energy storage.

The design also features four foldable soft sails to provide additional wind-assisted propulsion and reduce reliance on onboard power generation.

Jiangnan Shipyard’s concept has been designed with flexibility to accommodate future technologies, including larger battery systems, onboard photovoltaic generation and next-generation fuel-cell technologies.

The approval confirms the technical feasibility of the concept and its compliance with applicable safety, regulatory and classification requirements, according to BV.

By Tuhin Roy

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