ABS Grants AiP for World’s First Carbon Emission-free LNG Carrier Design

September 8, 2023

Photo Caption: ABS Vice President, Global Sustainability, Panos Koutsourakis (center), joins Sung Hyo Cho (left), Director and General Manager, Power Solutions Division, Hanwha Power Systems, and Hyoung Seong Kim (right), Head of Advanced Product Strategy Office, at Gastech 2023. Credit: ABS

Maritime classification society ABS has issued an approval in principle (AIP) to Hanwha Ocean for its design of a liquified natural gas (LNG) carrier equipped with an ammonia-fueled gas turbine.

ABS also issued an AIP to Hanwha Power Systems for its supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) power system. Efficiency improvements are reported as a result of using sCO2 as a working fluid in the turbine.

The 174,000 cbm vessel would be the world’s first carbon emission-free LNG carrier. The LNG carrier can use ammonia and natural gas separately or simultaneously as fuel. If only ammonia is used as fuel, no carbon gas is emitted.

The design, which is smaller than a diesel engine, also incorporates Hanwha Power Systems’ exhaust gas waste heat recovery system (sCO2 Power System). Hanwha Ocean also says the system meets the nitrogen oxide (NOx) requirement without selective catalytic reduction (SCR) regardless of fuel and has significantly reduced methane slip.

“With a global focus on decarbonization, this vessel design represents a big step forward in the shipping industry’s ambitions for zero-carbon cargo transport. ABS is proud to be able to support it and use our deep decarbonization expertise to advance a more sustainable industry,” said Panos Koutsourakis, ABS Vice President, Global Sustainability.

A spokesperson from Hanwha Ocean said: “Carbon neutrality is a ‘challenge to be overcome’ and an ‘opportunity to leap’ for shipyards. With this AIP, we will lead the competition for carbon-free ships.”