PaxOcean Engineering has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Singapore-based bunker vessel operator Hong Lam Marine and classification society Bureau Veritas (BV). Together, they will develop an ammonia bunker vessel design.
PaxOcean will focus on developing designs for ammonia-fuelled and ammonia bunkering vessels. Bureau Veritas will verify compliance with the most applicable and up-to-date rules, particularly those related to the handling of ammonia, drawing on its expertise and previous technical studies on ammonia as a fuel.
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Hong Lam Marine’s role is to provide input specific to operational data, and to support and validate the suitability of the ship design for commercial operations. The MoU is to foster innovation in smart and autonomous ship technologies, and support the use of green ammonia as a sustainable fuel to help decarbonise global shipping.
The project is to be seen as a push to accelerate the development of ammonia bunkering in Singapore. PaxOcean says it is happy to add ‘a new fuel segment into [its] R&D focus by co-creating ammonia-based vessel solutions.’
According to Bureau Veritas, ‘ammonia has great potential as a zero-carbon marine fuel and can play a significant role to help shipping reach its decarbonisation goals, but to fulfil this potential, more work is needed to overcome the safety and operational challenges. These challenges can be overcome through cross-industry collaboration.’
Also read: University of Nottingham leads research effort for ships using green ammonia
