Mitsubishi Shipbuilding is further expanding its renewable energy utilisation by driving growth in offshore wind farms and increasing production of green fuels.
By Cat Vitale
The AGAS demonstration facility at the Nagasaki District MHI Research Innovation Center. Credit MHI.
Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co, a division of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has announced the systems used for ammonia testing and treating, which include the Mitsubishi Ammonia Supply and Safety System (MAmmoSS) and the Ammonia Gas Abatement System (AGAS).
The shipping company are working on the MAmmoSS to employ ammonia as a marine fuel.
Part of this project is the commencement of demonstration testing of AGAS, a subsystem of MAmmoSS, which is used to treat ammonia.
The demonstration testing includes overseeing the processing performance of the system after replications of ammonia operations onboard the vessels and investigations related to ammonia-related technology and its handling.
Mitsubishi Heavy ndustries CEO Seiji Izumisawa emphasised the company’s outlook on its sustainability approach in its 2022 sustainability report and highlighted the goals they are hoping to reach: “Our first priority today is to leverage our products, technologies and experience in the area of decarbonisation with the ultimate goal of contributing to the achievement of Carbon Neutrality and solving climate change.
“We at MHI have declared our intent to realise net zero CO₂ emissions by 2040, ten years ahead of the Japanese government’s target.”
Other subsystems of the MAmmoSS include a high-pressure/low-pressure ammonia fuel supply system and an ammonia fuel tank system.
MHI stated that by combining its subsystems, the MAmmoSS is able to provide the optimal modular configuration for onboard plants.
As stated in issue 01 of the shipbuilding companies ‘Marine Future Stream’ by 2040 Mitsubishi aim to increase green ammonia production by utilising green hydrogen from offshore windfarms.
The company futher stated that by 2030 they aim to be supplying ships with carbon-free fuel, enabling the shift to sustainable and green fuel shipping.
According to certification company, Bureau Veritas, correctly treating ammonia can provide shipowners with a fuel option that could have no ‘well-to-wake’ CO₂ emissions aiding to reach the IMO’s 2050 emission reduction targets.