NYK Line seeks to develop world’s first ammonia barge with regasification

Japanese shipping company Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line) intends to develop an ammonia barge which can be used as a floating storage and regasification facility.

PHOTO: A model of NYK's ammonia floating storage and regasification barge. NYK Line

NYK Line has signed a joint research and development agreement with a group of partners. They are looking to commercialise floating ammonia storage and regasification barges.

In their plans, liquid ammonia from a production source will be supplied to a barge for storage. It will later be heated and regasified before transfer to onshore pipelines.

NYK Line says a barge of this kind can save time and costs compared to onshore storage tanks and regasification plants.

Other than NYK Line, the project partners include Japanese shipbuilder Nihon Shipyard, shipping classification society Class NK and engineering firm IHI Corporation.