ClassNK issues first ammonia engine room accreditation
The ammonia-fuelled ammonia gas carrier is expected to be delivered in November 2026 (Source: NYK)
Japanese classification society, ClassNK, has issued the first accreditation for ‘Machinery Room Safety for Ammonia’ (MRS) which is to be assigned to a 40,000m3 ammonia-fuelled medium gas carrier currently under development by a Japanese consortium. The vessel is to be built at Japan Marine United Corporation’s Ariake Shipyard.
The Japanese grouping, which includes NYK and Nihon Shipyard Co. Ltd, plans to take delivery of the gas carrier by the end of November 2026. The vessel design is currently being developed by Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) under the auspices of the country’s Green Innovation Fund Project.
A key challenge faced by the consortium is the toxicity of ammonia as a chemical. This is being tackled by a risk assessment reviewed by ClassNK, risk assessments and safety measures from a user’s perspective led by NYK engineers, and a study of the ship’s specification to ensure the highest levels of safety.
Japan’s two-trillion-yen NEDO fund, originally established in 1980, is charged with accelerating efforts to support the structural transformation of the energy and industrial sectors with investment towards carbon neutrality by 2050.
