NYK to collaborate in NH3 bunker boom project

NYK and TBG will significantly enhance the safety of supplying ammonia, which is highly toxic, to ships by employing TBG’s technology to ensure that the liquid does not leak. 

TBG will receive from NYK data related to the development of its ammonia bunkering vessel (ABV), which received Approval in Principle (AiP) from ClassNK in September 2022. NYK will also share with TBG the knowledge gained from Japan’s first LNG bunkering vessel, Kaguya, which is operated by Central LNG Marine Fuel Japan Corporation, an NYK affiliate.

A bunkering boom is a device consisting of rigid pipes and hoses that connect a bunkering vessel to the other vessel to supply fuel. It is highly durable because it is made of rigid pipe, and its swivel joints allow it to change direction freely, making it easy to operate. In this joint development, the two companies will employ TBG’s technology to prevent the liquid inside from leaking out when the bunkering boom is emergently released from a ship due to a natural disaster, thereby tackling the biggest challenge in ammonia fuel supply, i.e., preventing leakage.

TBG LH2 expertise

The agreement of the development deal with NYK for ammonia bunkering follows TBG’s successful conclusion of liquefied hydrogen loading and discharge using its bunkering solution at the Kobe Hydrogen Terminal as part of the HySTRA project in late February and early March 2023. The liquefied bunkering solution applied a vacuum double-walled pipe structure to the entire 6 inch diameter pipe. The liquefied hydrogen bunkering solution also included compatibility tests of sealing materials and tests with actual liquefied hydrogen solutions.