Japanese quartet to develop ammonia FSRB

Four Japanese companies, NYK Line, Nihon Shipyard, ClassNK, and IHI Corporation (IHI), have signed a joint research and development agreement for the commercialisation of an ammonia floating storage and regasification barge (A-FSRB), they said on August 22 in a joint statement.

An A-FSRB is an offshore floating facility that can receive and store ammonia that has been transported via ship as a liquid, warm and regasify ammonia according to demand, and then send it to a pipeline onshore.

In August 2020, NYK Line, Japan Marine United Corp (which owns 49% of Nihon Shipyard), and ClassNK started joint R&D of an A-FSRB.

“However, since the demand for fuel ammonia is expected to increase further in the future, the three parties have concluded a new joint R&D agreement with IHI,” they said.

NYK will oversee the project management, Nihon will be responsible for hull design and equipment layout study, ClassNK will do the technical verification regarding safety and IHI will supply ammonia-related equipment.