Elomatic designs concepts for advanced ammonia-fuel ready LNG-fueled vessel for NYK Line
CLIENT
Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line)
NYK Line is one of the world’s largest cargo shipping companies and a pioneer in promoting the green transition in the shipping industry. The company aims to prepare for the transition from fossil fuels by exploring future fuel solutions.
PROJECT
The purpose of the project was to investigate how ammonia fuel could be used to power different types of vessels, taking into account safety requirements, as well as technical features and space requirements from an operational perspective.
In cooperation with NYK Line, concepts were designed for four cargo vessels of different types and sizes. The aim was to design concepts in which LNG-fueled vessels could be converted to ammonia-fueled vessels, based on the assumption that ammonia will become a next-generation marine fuel.
WHERE
NYK Line has its head office in Tokyo, Japan.
WHEN
2022
OUR ROLE
The ammonia-fueled ship concept design was used to explore future technologies and development trends in the shipping industry. When an ammonia-fuel ready LNG-fueled vessel is ordered from a shipbuilder in the future, Elomatic’s concept design can then be used.
The design of these vessels marked the continuation of long-terms collaboration, during which Elomatic, together with NYK Line, has studied the suitability of various new technologies, the benefits they can bring, and created roadmaps for the techno-economic feasibility of the technologies.
The jointly developed technology has also been featured in previous future-oriented ship concepts created by Elomatic. The first of these was the NYK Super Eco Ship 2030, which was designed in 2009. This was followed by the NYK Super Eco Ship 2050, the concept design for which was completed in 2018.
“We chose Elomatic as a partner for the project, because based on the previous projects, we truly trust in their professionalism. It was quite exciting experience that the project was carried out entirely remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The key factors that enabled us to succeed under such challenging circumstances were Elomatic’s strong expertise in ship design, analysis, 3D modeling, and animation services. We at NYK Group truly appreciate Elomatic’s contribution to the project and look forward to working together with next projects.”
Hidehiko Sato, General Manager, Ship Business Group, NYK Line
How did we do it?
The design of the vessel concepts aimed for new, innovative solutions, so the collaboration began by brainstorming various concepts and applying the principles of the innovation process.
The design work was carried out in close collaboration with NYK Line’s technical team. The vessel concepts were implemented in two parts: in the first phase of the project, a car carrier with a capacity of 7000 cars and a 95,000-ton post-panamax bulker were designed. In the second phase of the project, concepts were designed for two other vessel types: a capesize bulk carrier and a very large crude oil carrier.
The starting point of the concept design was to keep the load capacity, ship speed and voyage distance the same as in similar LNG-fueled vessels. Ammonia weighs more than carbon-based fuels, and the ammonia tanks also require more space. The design of ammonia-fueled vessels must therefore take into account, for example, the placement of additional tanks and ensuring the vessel’s load capacity.
An important part of the design of the concepts was also ensuring safety in the design of the engine room and fuel supply system. Ammonia is a toxic and highly corrosive substance, but with proper design it is safe to use as a fuel. Since technical advances have been faster than regulatory developments, special attention was paid to safety and complying with standards.
Find out more about the vessels
Contact us
Antti Yrjänäinen
Project & Sales Manager, Marine & Offshore Energy