🚢 Sharing another key takeaway from our recent ammonia transfers in the Pilbara! Bunkering typically takes place within a short timeframe when the vessel is in port. Therefore, these operations must be both safe and efficient. Our ammonia transfer trials in the Pilbara region spanned five days from start to end, when the actual ammonia transfer took about 13 hours. This was because many of the equipment required for ammonia transfer was not readily available on the ammonia vessels, and had to be specifically brought onboard by a separate supply vessel. Considering the time constraints on future bunkering operations, the bunker vessel will need to be equipped with the necessary hardware to minimise downtime. Based on our experience with the ammonia transfer pilot in the Pilbara, our team has identified a list of the elements that an ammonia bunkering vessel should have: ➡️ 𝐎𝐧𝐛𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲: Nitrogen is needed to conduct leak tests of hoses and connections prior to ammonia transfer; it is also needed to purge residual ammonia in the hoses after transfer completion. ➡️ 𝐎𝐧𝐛𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬: Instead of transporting individual fenders from the shore to be attached to the vessels to prevent collision during approach, onboard fenders can help reduce the preparation time for ammonia transfer. ➡️ 𝐄𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 (𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐬): In the event of an unintended hose separation resulting in an ammonia leak, ERCs can be automatically triggered to seal off the transfer system. Check out our simple sketch below illustrating some of our suggestions on the elements to include on an ammonia bunker vessel. 📢 More detailed information about our trials will be provided in our upcoming report. Please stay tuned! 📖 To learn more about our completed ammonia transfer trials, check out these resources below: Press release: https://lnkd.in/gkG-kZcE Overview of the process: https://lnkd.in/gdU3yZ2f Overview of our key findings: https://lnkd.in/gXAgWcR6
Very interesting findings and hopefully we move closer to Ammonia being more viable as an alternative fuel!
Master-Gas Carriers
4dWhile the findings are significant, they could have been identified during the pre-operation stages. Proactive planning and analysis could have potentially led to a more optimal outcome and better utilization of resources. As someone with expertise in Ship-to-Ship gas transfer operations, I would welcome the opportunity to collaborate on future projects and leverage my knowledge to drive improved results.