Industry Leaders Join Forces on Ammonia-Fuelled Tanker Project

MISC Berhad, Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI), Lloyd’s Register (LR) and MAN Energy Solutions have announced that they will work together on a joint development project (JDP) for an ammonia-fuelled tanker to support shipping’s drive towards a decarbonised future. 

The creation of the alliance has been motivated by the partners’ shared belief that the maritime industry needs leadership and greater collaboration if shipping is to meet the International Maritime Organisation’s 2050 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emission target, an ambition that requires commercially viable deep-sea Zero-Emission Vessels (ZEVs) are in operation by 2030. 

Ammonia is just one of the pathways towards zero-carbon emitting vessels. The partners recognise that the shipping industry will need to explore multiple decarbonisation pathways and hope their collaboration will spur others in the maritime industry to join forces on addressing this global challenge. The partners believe that the creation of such alliances will send a clear message that shipping can progress itself to fit times and circumstances, ahead of regulatory action.

The drive to decarbonise shipping will be a dominant focus of the decade ahead and follows a year of action in 2019 that saw the launch of Getting to Zero Coalition, an alliance of leading maritime, energy, infrastructure and finance companies committed to getting commercially viable deep-sea ZEVs powered by zero emission energy resources into operation by 2030. 

Shipping’s decarbonisation as a shared obligation was also a key talking point during the Global Maritime Forum held in Singapore in October 2019 where more than 220 industry leaders congregated to discuss the challenges facing the shipping industry.

Joon Ou Nam, President & CEO of Samsung Heavy Industries said: We are very delighted to be a key member of this meaningful industry collaboration together with competent partners. We all know that the industry - wide movement is vital, and new zero-carbon fuel technologies, such as ammonia fuel, are to be brought on the table, in order to take action proactively on maritime GHG emissions in accordance with the IMO’s ambitious road map. 

We hope SHI’s experience and expertise in novel ship design development will effectively contribute to this joint development project and all JDP partners could get better insight into the feasible and sustainable zero-carbon fuel vessel design solutions. 

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