Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Advances Ammonia as Marine Fuel
Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., a subsidiary of the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group, is making strides in developing an ammonia handling system to bolster the use of ammonia as a marine fuel. This initiative is known as the Mitsubishi Ammonia Supply and Safety System (MAmmoSS), comprising several critical subsystems, including a high-pressure/low-pressure ammonia fuel supply system (AFSS) and an ammonia fuel tank system.
In pursuit of this development, Mitsubishi Shipbuilding has embarked on a pivotal phase, commencing demonstration testing of the Ammonia Gas Abatement System (AGAS), which is an integral part of MAmmoSS. The AGAS serves the purpose of safely treating surplus ammonia.
Utilizing the AGAS demonstration facility housed at the Nagasaki District MHI Research & Innovation Center, Mitsubishi Shipbuilding is conducting comprehensive demonstration tests. These tests simulate various scenarios replicating onboard ammonia operations. The objective is to assess the processing performance under different conditions. Furthermore, this endeavor seeks to broaden the scope of the maritime industry through collaborations with related equipment manufacturers. The technologies being developed will find applications across various industries, enhancing their capability to handle ammonia safely.
A notable feature of MAmmoSS is the modular design of its subsystems. This modularity enables Mitsubishi Shipbuilding to offer customized modular configurations suitable for onboard plants that consist of multiple engines and boilers.
Looking ahead, Mitsubishi Shipbuilding is aligning its efforts with the strategic vision of the MHI Group in advancing the energy transition. In doing so, the company aims to contribute significantly to the further development of marine logistics while reducing environmental impacts on a global scale. This will be achieved through the provision of shipbuilding engineering services for ammonia-fueled vessels.
Earlier this year, Mitsubishi Shipbuilding announced its intention to undertake technical studies on an ammonia fuel supply system for large, low-speed two-stroke marine engines. These engines are being developed by Swiss marine engine manufacturer Winterthur Gas & Diesel AG (WinGD). In this collaborative project, WinGD will deploy its X-DF-A ammonia-fueled engines across a range of vessel designs. Mitsubishi will take on the role of designing the vessels and completing the fuel chain with its ammonia fuel supply system (AFSS).
In parallel, Mitsubishi Shipbuilding has already delivered an ammonia supply system for large, low-speed two-stroke marine engines to Japan Engine Corporation (J-ENG). J-ENG is actively conducting tests of ammonia fuel under diverse conditions using an experimental large-scale, low-speed two-stroke marine engine situated at the MHI Research & Innovation Center in Nagasaki District, Japan.
The ammonia fuel supply system, provided by Mitsubishi Shipbuilding, has been successfully installed at the Nagasaki District facility. It plays a pivotal role in supplying the ammonia fuel necessary to conduct these critical tests.
