Japanese classification society ClassNK will grant what is claimed to be the world’s first Ammonia Engine Room Safety (MRS) accreditation to the ammonia-fueled medium-gas carrier (AFMGC), currently being developed by a consortium of NYK, Nihon Shipyard, Japan Engine Corporation and IHI Power Systems.
The consortium members signed contracts to build the world’s first ammonia-fueled medium-gas carrier (AFMGC) equipped with Japanese-made engines in December 2023 under the Green Innovation Fund Project of the Japan New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).
The 40,000 cubic meter ammonia-type ammonia tanker is to be built at the Ariake shipyard of Japan Marine United Corporation (JMU) and is scheduled for delivery in November 2026.
The MRS marking issued by ClassNK demonstrates that the vessel is equipped with excellent ammonia safety measures for the engine room. It also confirms that the vessel meets the highest safety measures according to the guidelines for ammonia fuelled vessels.
To overcome toxicity, which is one of the biggest challenges in the design of the vessel, and to obtain the MRS marking, the consortium carried out a risk assessment verified by ClassNK, risk assessments and safety measures from the user’s perspective led by NYK engineers, as well as a study of the vessel’s specifications to achieve the highest level of safety.
Towards the completion of the vessel in November 2026, the consortium will manufacture the main and auxiliary engines, start detailed studies for the design of the vessel and prepare an operations manual for actual operations.
Japan Engine Corporation will be responsible for the ship’s main engine, producing a dual-fuel two-stroke engine using ammonia fuel, while IHI Power System will supply the auxiliary engine.
After the completion of the vessel, the consortium will continue to operate it for demonstration purposes to confirm the vessel’s performance, including environmental performance and the practicality of the operating manual, and to provide user feedback to shipbuilders and marine equipment manufacturers for further improvements.
