An Ammonia FSRU (Ammonia Floating Storage and Regasification Unit) cncept jointly developed by Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) and Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co has been granted Approval in Principle by Japan’s ClassNK.
The announcement comes nearly two years after MOL and Mitsubishi announced they had completed a conceptual study for an FRSU, as part of an agreement with Japan’s second largest utility company, Kansai Electric Power. Designed for liquified gases and incorporating storage tanks and regasification facility, the FRSU offers lower operating costs and a shorter construction time compared to equivalent facilities onshore. MOL and Mitsubishi Shipbuilding’s FRSU is expected to contribute to the development of ammonia value chain as an alternative carbon neutral fuel.
ClassNK undertook a review of the Ammonia FSRU’s conceptual design, applying Part N of Rules for the Survey and Construction of Steel Ships for ships carrying liquefied gases in bulk – “Guidelines for Floating Offshore Facilities for LNG/LPG Production, Storage, Offloading and Regasification”- along with other relevant rules, as well as a risk assessment based on the results of gas dispersion study.
Initiatives to develop Japan’s ammonia infrastructure are rapidly gathering pace in Japan. In August 2023, Mitsui & Co., Mitsui Chemicals, IHI Corporation and the Kansai Electric Power Co. signed an MoU to execute a joint study to establish a hydrogen and ammonia supply chain based on the coast of Osaka.
