Shipping majors from the Korean industry and the Liberian Registry are joining forces to develop safety guidelines for ship-to-ship ammonia bunkering.
A memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the project has been signed by KR (Korean Register), HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE), HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HD HHI), KSS Line, and the Liberian Registry.
While standards for LNG and methanol bunkering have already been defined through various international industry standards, ammonia currently lacks relevant guidelines.
“The safe bunkering of alternative fuels, like ammonia, requires rigorous risk assessment and the establishment of controlled zones,” the Korean Registry said in a press release issued yesterday.
To address this industry need, the five organizations involved will cooperate to develop standardized safety procedures that will set international benchmarks for ship-to-ship ammonia bunkering.
As part of the initiative, HD KSOE will perform risk assessments aligned with international industry standards, while HD HHI and KSS Line will utilize their expertise and experience in alternative-fuel vessels and ammonia carriers to evaluate controlled zones and safety procedures for ammonia STS bunkering.
KR will verify the compliance of these safety procedures and issue an Approval in Principle (AIP) certificate.
The Liberian Registry, overseeing the world’s largest registered fleet, will further review the validity of these safety procedures.
“With the expected rise in ammonia bunkering demand driven by the construction of more ammonia-fueled vessels, this collaborative effort to establish safety standards is highly significant. Through this partnership, KR is committed to advancing ammonia fuel technology and supporting the industry’s decarbonization efforts,” said KIM Yeontae, executive vice president of KR’s technical division.
