NYK Line newbuild completes ship-to-ship ammonia bunkering in Japan

An ammonia-capable gas carrier ordered by Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line) has taken on an unspecified quantity of ammonia in a ship-to-ship bunker operation at a Japanese shipyard.

IMAGE: Ship-to-ship ammonia bunkering of an ammonia-capable gas carrier in Japan. NYK Line

The 40,000-cbm gas carrier is currently under construction at Japan Marine United’s Ariake Shipyard in Nagasu, Kumamoto Prefecture in Japan.

The ammonia carrier Shoei Maru, owned by Japanese shipping firm Kokuka Sangyo, delivered the fuel ship-to-ship while the newbuild was berthed at the quay. It normally transports ammonia for Mitsubishi Gas Chemical's Niigata Plant.

The vessel is scheduled for delivery in November this year. The bunker pilot was carried out “in preparation for sea trials” using ammonia as fuel, NYK Line said.

Several safety measures and operational procedures were established before bunkering, allowing the transfer to be completed safely.

“Through this initiative, we have accumulated practical insights regarding safe fuel supply operations,” NYK Line said, adding that the operation will serve as a “pioneering example” for the development of a bunkering framework to enable widespread adoption of ammonia-capable vessels.

By Konica Bhatt

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