LR grants AiP for 23,000-TEU ammonia-fuelled box ship design

The AiP marks the first phase of the joint project, which has been underway since June 2019. As part of the project, DSME generated the basic design for the ammonia-based propulsion system and MAN was responsible for the development and specifications of the ammonia dual-fuel engine.

LR reviewed the suitability and risks of the design which involved a hazard identification workshop, a hazard and operability analysis workshop and a design review in accordance with the approval of risk-based design process, which led to the AiP.

Following this, a second phase will involve further development of the design for meeting market demand in terms of commercial viability as well as technical and safety maturity.

DSME vice-president and chief technical officer Odin Kwon said the ship’s design was more complex than other ship types because the ammonia fuel tank and much of the fuel facility and safety equipment is installed in an enclosed space. He added “The successful results from the joint AiP can easily be applied to other type of vessels such as tankers, bulk carriers and gas carriers. We now just await the delivery of the ammonia-fuelled engine from MAN Energy Solutions.”

LR’s marine and offshore president for northeast Asia Jin-Tae Lee called the AiP “another important step in this decade where concerted action is required to address shipping’s decarbonisation.”

The AiP is the first to be awarded in South Korea for an ammonia-fuelled ultra-large container ship design, and the ship is expected to be commercialised by 2025.