Ammonia bunkering partnership launched

South Korean heavyweights and the Liberian Registry have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) establishing a new partnership to develop safety guidelines for ship-to-ship ammonia bunkering. The partners are the Korean Register (KR), HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE), HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HD HHI), KSS Line, and the Liberians.

Standards for LNG and methanol have already been drawn up in various international industry standards. However, ammonia as a marine fuel currently lacks guidelines even though demand for this fuel is climbing. The fuel is carbon-free on a tank-to-wake basis but only green ammonia is zero-carbon if measured on a well-to-wake standard.

The framework will see HD KSOE undertake risk assessments based on international industry standards. HD HHI and KSS Line will focus on evaluating controlled zones and procedures for safe ship-to-ship ammonia bunkering. KR will verify the compliance of these safety procedures and issue an Approval in Principle certificate. And the Liberian Registry will carry out an overall review of the safety procedures.

Executive vice president of KR’s technical division, Kim Yeontae, commented: “With the expected rise in ammonia bunkering demand driven by the construction of more ammonia-fuelled vessels, this collaborative effort to establish safety standards is highly significant. Through this partnership, KR is committed to advancing ammonia fuel technology and supporting the industry’s decarbonisation efforts.”

Kim Jungsik, managing director of the Liberian Registry’s Korea Office, said: “Just as we observed with the initial adoption of LNG STS bunkering, it is critical to establish regulations and procedures for ammonia as well. Our Innovation and Energy Transition team will thoroughly review the safety protocols and support the development of international standards.”