Japan’s Mitsubishi Shipbuilding has completed the conceptual design of an ammonia-ready very large gas carrier (VLGC) initially powered by liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
The Japanese shipbuilder said the concept design, which secured approval in principle (AiP) from the fellow classification society ClassNK, was developed based on its experience and expertise in the construction of more than 80 very large LPG carriers and multi-purpose gas carriers capable of carrying ammonia.
“Creation of a design enabling conversion to ammonia fuel in line with future needs is expected to permit relatively small-scale ship retrofitting when use of ammonia fuel becomes a viable option,” the company said in a release.
Mitsubishi Shipbuilding established a new marine decarbonisation business development group this year in response to increased demand for clean energy carriers for ammonia and other materials, such as liquified CO2 (LCO2). At this year’s Posidonia, the company showcased its spherical cargo tank system for LCO2 carriers and was awarded AiP by the French classification society Bureau Veritas (BV).
