Gas and Heat teams up with Bureau Veritas on LNG/ammonia fuel tank

Italian LNG fuel solutions provider Gas and Heat said September 10 it had received a preliminary certification from standards body Bureau Veritas for a cargo/fuel tank capable of holding both LNG and ammonia.

Gas and Heat is not the only industry vendor to look at future proofing bunkering tanks to cope with ammonia-fuelled journeys.

Another concept design for an "ammonia-fuel ready" LNG vessel was outlined on March 3, catalysing cross-border research by Japan's Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha and its California-based research unit MTI Corp, together with Finnish maritime engineering and consulting firm Elomatic Oy. 

Similarly, Japanese shipping firm MOL, Itochu Corp. and Sembcorp Marine received approval in principle for an ammonia bunkering concept design in January from classification society American Bureau of Shipping.

Ammonia is typically used as fertiliser on farmland, but could one day also serve as a low-carbon bunkering fuel.

The main problem is the supply bottlenecks that would arise given the need to protect fertiliser supply for global food production - which currently absorbs around 80% of the world's ammonia - as well as safety risks and leakage that could occur during transport, according to Lloyd's Register.

Ammonia also discharges nitrous oxide when combusted in engines, creating greenhouse emissions even more damaging to the environment than CO₂, meaning controls would be needed to prevent this.

LNG is regarded as a safer option in the nearer term, as it slashes emissions by around one quarter on conventional bunkering fuels with up to 95% less nitrogen oxide pumped into the air, all without major safety risks, according to Shell.