NYK awarded AiP for ammonia bunkering vessel

The NYK Group has set a long-term goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 to reduce GHG emissions in its oceangoing shipping business and is developing zero-emission ships that use ammonia, hydrogen, and other marine fuels having a low environmental impact. The ammonia bunkering vessel that received the AiP comes in anticipation of ammonia becoming more common as shipping fuel in the late 2020s.

NYK’s Project Engineering Team created its own design drawings unlike others that had previously been made by shipyards and design companies and used an advanced method of creating 3D models linked to the drawings in the initial conceptual design stage.

3D modelling is usually done in the detailed design stage after the shipbuilding contract has been signed. The 3D models enabled for more in-depth discussions to take place about risk assessments of hazardous locations and escape routes during the HAZID in the process of obtaining the AiP and allowed for specifications that incorporate sufficient safety measures against the toxicity and corrosiveness of ammonia to be devised.

The 3D model was used for the first time as a partial replacement of 2D drawings in ClassNK’s AiP drawing-approval process, significantly expanding the role of 3D models in future development projects. NYK will continue to maximize opportunities for the use of 3D data by further expanding its application to concept development, construction, and ship management.

In devising the concept for the ammonia bunkering vessel, NYK used knowledge gained from the LNG fuel supply system of Japan’s first LNG-fuelled car carrier, which the company has been operating since October 2020, and Japan’s first LNG bunkering vessel, which is operated by its affiliate Central LNG Marine Fuel Japan Corporation.