Mitsubishi Shipbuilding and Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK) have been granted approval in principle from ClassNK for a ship that can transport ammonia and liquefied carbon dioxide (LCO2).
The planned carrier could transport ammonia to thermal power plants on an outbound route and then carry CO2 emitted from thermal power plants to storage sites on the return route.
Mixed cargo holds are something NYK is getting heavily involved with. It already has five LPG/ammonia carriers on order.
Last year Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) and Mitsubishi Shipbuilding showcased a concept design for an ammonia/liquefied CO2 carrier with a carrying capacity of 50,000 cu m.
The many nascent seaborne trades such as liquefied CO₂ or hydrogen have given ailing Japanese shipyards a shot in the arm. Japanese shipbuilders were the pioneers for much of the liquefied gas carrier design breakthroughs of the 1970s and 1980s, something they aim to replicate as the world transitions to new energy forms.
