NYK Line-led consortium wants to build biomass-fuelled vessel

Japanese shipping major Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK Line) plans to explore the possibility of designing and building a biogas-powered cargo vessel.

PHOTO: Concept of a wood pellet-powered ship. NYK Line

NYK Line has partnered with its subsidiary NYK Bulk & Projects Carriers, Japan’s Tsuneishi Shipbuilding and British renewable energy firm Drax Group to study the feasibility of building “world’s first wood pellets-powered Super Low-Emission Vessel.”

It is conceptualised to be equipped with an "on-board biomass fuel plant" that will gasify biomass at high temperatures to produce carbon monoxide, hydrogen and methane gases.

An onboard generator will use these gases as fuel to power the vessel's propulsion and auxiliary operations, according to NYK Line.

DIAGRAM: Concept of the onboard biomass fuel gasification plant. Tsuneishi Shipbuilding

“The installation of a biomass fuel plant could see a 22% reduction in well-to-wake carbon emissions in bioships when compared to using fossil fuels,” NYK Line claimed.

Drax Group will supply biomass pellets made from waste wood, including sawmill and forestry residues for the study. The consortium hopes to design and develop both the onboard biomass plant and the vessel by 2029.

By Konica Bhatt

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