TOKYO, Mar 14, 2025 – (JCN Newswire) – Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group, has jointly developed a large ammonia carrier that uses ammonia as fuel, in collaboration with Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) and Namura Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. Approval in Principle (AiP) (Note1) for the design has been obtained from Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK). The approval was given through ClassNK’s review of basic design drawings and risk assessment (Hazard Identification Study: HAZID(Note2)) conducted by ClassNK based on the basic design. In order to respond quickly to the future demands, the design have been completed in more detail than generally required for the AiP.
Currently, ammonia is mainly used as a raw material for fertilizer, and its marine transportation volume is limited. In recent years, however, ammonia has gained attention as a clean energy source because it does not emit CO2 during combustion. Its demand is expected to grow as a promising option for achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, particularly for fuel transition in power plants and as a hydrogen carrier.
Mitsubishi Shipbuilding, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, and Namura Shipbuilding had been working to develop a basic design for a large ammonia carrier, and have now obtained an AiP from ClassNK. The vessel is intended to have an engine that utilizes ammonia as the main fuel source, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the vessel itself. Furthermore, the ship is designed to be even larger than conventional Very Large Gas Carrier/Very Large Ammonia Carrier (VLGC/VLAC), enhancing the efficiency of marine transport. This revolutionar