Successful Propulsion & Manoeuvrability Trials by Fortescue’s Dual-Fuelled Ammonia-Powered Vessel in the Port of Singapore

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Fortescue, with help from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), authorities companies, analysis institutes, and trade companions, has efficiently accomplished propulsion and manoeuvrability trials of its Singapore-registered Fortescue Inexperienced Pioneer within the Port of Singapore. The trials have been performed utilizing 6.4 m³ (4.4 tonnes) of liquid ammonia, together with diesel and Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (HVO), a second-generation biofuel, as marine gas over 10 days from 23 April 2024 to 2 Might 2024.

This newest milestone follows the profitable conduct of the world’s first dual-fuelled ammonia gas trial in Port of Singapore by the Fortescue Inexperienced Pioneer in March 2024, through which the vessel acquired flag approval from the Singapore Registry of Ships (SRS) and the “Gas Fuelled Ammonia” notation by classification society DNV to make use of ammonia, together with diesel, as a marine gas.

The approval and notation have been awarded upon the completion of a sequence of gas trials that have been performed over a interval of seven weeks in February and March 2024 utilizing 5 cubic metres (three tonnes) of liquid ammonia. The trials, performed by the Fortescue Inexperienced Pioneer at anchor, included testing of the vessel’s ammonia storage programs, related piping, fuel gas supply system, retrofitted engines, and seaworthiness. Members of the maritime neighborhood visited the vessel in the course of the Singapore Maritime Week in April 2024 to study in regards to the trials, emergency procedures and coaching of seafarers for the secure dealing with of ammonia gas.

To facilitate this set of trials involving propulsion and manoeuvrability exams as a part of the vessel’s ongoing sea trials, an extra tranche of roughly 6.4 m³ (4.4 tonnes) of liquid ammonia was loaded on 23 April 2024 at Vopak Banyan Terminal, Jurong Island.

A chosen check space alongside Raffles Reserved Anchorage was secured by MPA for the trials, and the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) was arrange at MPA’s Port Operations Management Centre for representatives of MPA, Fortescue, Vopak, analysis institutes, and authorities companies to observe the gas loading and sea trial operations. Ammonia plume modelling(1) and drone surveillance was additionally utilized by the EOC to help security and incident planning and response. This set of trials might be enhanced to help the ocean trials of deliberate ammonia-fuelled vessels below the Singapore Registry of Ships previous to supply if required.

The propulsion and manoeuvrability trials additionally included exams to validate the administration of nitrogen-based emissions, and evaluation of the vessel’s engine functionality to function on various quantities of HVO together with ammonia.

As a part of MPA’s efforts to strengthen maritime cybersecurity as vessels grow to be more and more digitalised and related, MPA can be in dialogue with Fortescue on the monitoring of info-comm know-how and operational know-how programs onboard the Fortescue Inexperienced Pioneer to develop resilience of vessels with different fuels towards cyber threats. Within the coming months, the Fortescue Inexperienced Pioneer is predicted to play a key position in driving consciousness of the necessity for the worldwide transport trade to undertake options comparable to inexperienced ammonia.

(1) Collectively developed by the Company for Science, Expertise and Analysis’s Institute of Excessive Efficiency Computing (A*STAR’s IHPC), Nanyang Technological College’s Maritime Power and Sustainable Improvement Centre of Excellence (MESD), the Expertise Centre for Offshore and Marine, Singapore (TCOMS), and the Nationwide College of Singapore’s Tropical Marine Science Institute (TMSI).

Press launch from Fortescue Green Pioneer.