The DNV has awarded Approval in Principle (AiP) to an industrial scale concept for a floating production unit which will be used to produce green ammonia. The AiP affirms the technical feasibility of the design from SwitcH2 BV and BW Offshore, and the project will now progress into the basic design phase.
The NH3 FPSO concept will be built by converting an existing very large crude carrier (VLCC) or by building a completely new and dedicated vessel. The majority of the power delivered to the unit will come from a wind farm, and the unit will produce hydrogen by electrolysis of seawater and nitrogen through the use of an air separation unit, combining these in an ammonia synthesis unit.
Ammonia gas produced by the unit will be condensed, and the liquid ammonia will be stored in the hull before it is subsequently offloaded to an ammonia carrier. With plans to be permanently moored, the NH3 FPSO can still be relocated if required through a planned disconnect. Offloading will be carried out using a floating hose, reeled from the aft ship to the shuttle ammonia carrier midship manifold.
“The AiP covers all aspects of the integrated vessel concept including structural integrity, mooring, ammonia production, ammonia storage and cargo handling,” explained Conn Fagan, vice president, business development for floating production, DNV. “We are pleased to see such developments both with regard to use of renewable energy and as a contribution to emission reduction across many potential applications in different industry sectors.”
“We are delighted we have been awarded the AiP from DNV for our concept and we look forward to working with DNV in the next stages of the project,” said Bob Rietveldt, member of the management board of SwitcH2.
“At BW Offshore, we leverage our offshore experience to support and expedite the energy transition by engineering next-generation floating production solutions,” added Fredrik Savio, SVP project development at BW Offshore. “Achieving this AiP is an important milestone and an encouraging step toward a cleaner energy mix.”