Yards and class societies to establish ammonia bunkering guidelines
Five organisations in total will develop procedures that they hope will set international standards
The class society has signed an MOU with shipyards, KSS Line and the Liberian Registry to establish ‘robust safety standards’ for ship-to-ship ammonia bunkering
THE Korean Register of Shipping (KR) has signed a memorandum of understanding with four other organisations to work together to set safety standards for ship-to-ship ammonia bunkering.
The class society has joined shipyard HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, HD Korea Shipbuilding and Offshore Engineering, KSS Line and the Liberian Registry in signing the agreement, which KR said it hopes will set international standards for safe STS ammonia bunkering.
KR highlighted the fact that while other alternative fuels, such as LNG or methanol, have defined standards in place, ammonia still lacks relevant guidelines.
Kim Yeontae, executive vice-president of KR’s technical division, said the expected rise in demand for ammonia bunkering meant this collaborative effort to establish safety standards was “highly significant”.
“Through this partnership, KR is committed to advancing ammonia fuel technology and supporting the industry’s decarbonisation efforts.”
HD KSOE will perform risk assessments based on industry standards, HD HHI and KSS Line will evaluate controlled zones and develop procedures for STS ammonia bunkering, while KR and the Liberian Registry will verify and issue an approval in principle for those procedures.
Kim Jungsik, managing director of the Korea office at the Liberian Registry, said just as when STS LNG bunkering was adopted, it was critical to establish regulations and procedures for ammonia.
“Our innovation and energy transition team will thoroughly review the safety protocols and support the development of international standards.”
Ammonia bunkering is still in the very early stages of development. The first ammonia STS was only achieved in September of this year and the ABS’ first foray into ammonia bunkering standards was only published in July.
For comparison, LNG has well-established regulations, including some agreed by the International Maritime Organization, while methanol is included in the IMO’s International Code of Safety for Ship Using Gases or Other Low-flashpoint Fuels.
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