Korea makes waves with ammonia for bunkering
The Korean shipping industry took a major step in meeting emissions guidelines from the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) with its support for ammonia as a bunkering fuel, a regulator announced March 30.
The Korean Register (KR) said it had granted approval in principle for an ammonia bunkering vessel that would be the first of its kind in the country.
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The vessel, under development by a consortium that includes Singapore shipping company Navig8, would be duel-fueled, using both marine diesel and ammonia.
Kim Dae-Heon, the executive vice president for research and development at the registry, said the maritime industry as a whole is pursuing alternative fuels in order to meet maritime environmental regulations.
“KR will continue working to work with industry stakeholders to find the most effective ways to meet the environmental regulations and to respond quickly and effectively to any environmental challenge as it arises,” he said.
That follows a March 23 announcement from Dutch engineering firm Proton Ventures, Dubai-based commodities trader Trammo DMCC and European downstream energy group VARO that a preliminary agreement outlined the production of green hydrogen and ammonia for the European market via Rotterdam.
Hydrogen and ammonia have been touted as solutions for decarbonising energy-intensive industry, power generation and transport.
Cleaner fuels for the shipping industry are part of the commitment to meet the IMO goals of cutting CO2 emissions by 40% by 2030 and 70% by 2050, relative to 2008 levels. The so-called IMO 2020 regime also calls for a reduction in total greenhouse gas emissions of 50% from 2008 levels by 2050.