China's NACKS wins approval for ammonia-fuelled container ship

Lloyd’s Register (LR) has awarded China’s Nantong COSCO KHI Ship Engineering Co. (NACKS) approval in principle (AiP) for an ammonia-fuelled 16,000teu container ship, it said on October 19.

LR, NACKS and Hudong Heavy Machinery Co. started work on the project in early 2021 with the AiP awarded following a risk-based HAZID certification in which the three partners discussed the flammable, highly toxic and corrosive nature of ammonia and attended risk assessment seminars.

As part of the approval process, the three parties also conducted research and discussion on the arrangement of the fuel tank, the selection of fuel tank material, vent mast positioning, double-walled pipe ventilation detection, bunkering station arrangement as well as detection and fire control of ammonia leakage.