Japanese yards unveil the largest ammonia carrier to date
A subsidiary of Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL), Phoenix Tankers, has ordered a revolutionary very large gas carrier (VLGC) that pushes the design envelope for gas transportation.
The design created by Mitsubishi Shipbuilding and fellow Japanese yard Namura Shipbuilding is for an LPG-powered 87,000 dwt VLGC that is capable of shipping either LPG or ammonia. Namura will build the first ship with MOL having an option for a second vessel. The ship will be the largest ammonia carrier ever built and will use LPG in the cargo hold as fuel with a view to converting the ship to ammonia fuel at a later stage.
No price has been revealed for the new ship, which will deliver in around two and a half years’ time. The design conforms with EEDI Phase 3, which will be applicable for VLGCs contracted after 2022.
“Ammonia is drawing attention as a next-generation clean fuel that does not emit carbon dioxide when burned, and as ‘hydrogen carrier’ that can be used to transport hydrogen,” MOL stated in a release today.