THE 15,000-TEU dual-fueled ammonia containership design developed by the world's largest non-operating container shipowner, Seaspan, the Maersk McKinney Moller Centre for Zero Carbon Shipping, and Helsinki-based ship design firm, Foreship, has already attracted significant interest from leading liner companies.
According to Seaspan Ship Management's Seb Brindley, senior naval architect involved in the project for the last two years, there has been a steady stream of enquiry since the design received Approval in Principle from the American Bureau of Shipping in August.
The company's liner-operating clients are currently assessing several future fuels, Mr Brindley told Seatrade Maritime News recently, but ammonia seems to be a favoured option among a number of lines considering its scalability by 2050.
Of course, there are no large two-stroke ammonia-fueled engines available as yet, but MAN Energy Solutions completed successful combustion testing of an ammonia-powered unit at its Research Centre Copenhagen earlier this year and expects to have large two-stroke dual-fueled ammonia engines available commercially from 2026.
The principal dimensions, tank configuration, and general arrangement of the 15,000 TEU ammonia-fueled container has been based on Sea span's 23 container ships of the same size from three different vessel series. Two are ship classes using conventional fuels and incorporating the latest hull optimization and energy saving devices; the third is an LNG dual-fueled design with the first of these, the Zim Sammy Ofer, delivered in April 2023.
The design process has thrown up both opportunities and challenges, Mr Brindley said, citing safety benefits through fully refrigerated ammonia storage, for example, and optimising the location and size of ammonia fuel tanks to minimize the loss of cargo slot capacity and the risk of tank penetrations.
Providing sufficient space for hazardous zones, separate spaces for ammonia-related equipment, and understanding the risks of ammonia leakage and possible dangers to ship personnel were other major considerations.
SeaNews Turkey
According to Seaspan Ship Management's Seb Brindley, senior naval architect involved in the project for the last two years, there has been a steady stream of enquiry since the design received Approval in Principle from the American Bureau of Shipping in August.
The company's liner-operating clients are currently assessing several future fuels, Mr Brindley told Seatrade Maritime News recently, but ammonia seems to be a favoured option among a number of lines considering its scalability by 2050.
Of course, there are no large two-stroke ammonia-fueled engines available as yet, but MAN Energy Solutions completed successful combustion testing of an ammonia-powered unit at its Research Centre Copenhagen earlier this year and expects to have large two-stroke dual-fueled ammonia engines available commercially from 2026.
The principal dimensions, tank configuration, and general arrangement of the 15,000 TEU ammonia-fueled container has been based on Sea span's 23 container ships of the same size from three different vessel series. Two are ship classes using conventional fuels and incorporating the latest hull optimization and energy saving devices; the third is an LNG dual-fueled design with the first of these, the Zim Sammy Ofer, delivered in April 2023.
The design process has thrown up both opportunities and challenges, Mr Brindley said, citing safety benefits through fully refrigerated ammonia storage, for example, and optimising the location and size of ammonia fuel tanks to minimize the loss of cargo slot capacity and the risk of tank penetrations.
Providing sufficient space for hazardous zones, separate spaces for ammonia-related equipment, and understanding the risks of ammonia leakage and possible dangers to ship personnel were other major considerations.
SeaNews Turkey
