Fundación Valenciaport has started working on a study on the safety of ammonia as fuel, 'Study Investigating the Safety of Ammonia as Fuel on Ships'; an initiative that proposes to lay the foundations for the use of ammonia as fuel for ships.
The research will provide a framework of methodologies, safety assessment and reliability analysis, as well as a technical guidance document to achieve a degree of harmonisation across the port logistics sector.
The project will focus in particular on the characterisation of ammonia as a chemical and fuel, reviewing available standards, regulations and practices, and the considerations to be taken into account to ensure the safety of ships using ammonia as a fuel.
In addition, the project will carry out a safety assessment and reliability analysis of some specific equipment, systems and systems; it will also assess the safety of a generic ship design and two specific ship types, to take into account specialised technical solutions. Finally, a target-based guide for ammonia-fuelled ships will be developed.
The project, coordinated by ABS HELLENIC S.M., has a budget of around €450,000, co-financed by the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA), and will run until June 2025.
The role of Fundación Valenciaport
Fundación Valenciaport will bring its experience in the implementation of alternative fuels in projects such as H2PORTS and POSEIDON, which involve the use of hydrogen and e-methanol as fuel, respectively. It will also contribute with the experience gained from the use of ammonia as cargo in the Port of Sagunto.
In addition, the Foundation will lead the characterisation of ammonia and participate in the risk analysis tasks, as well as in the development of guidelines and recommendations for its use as a fuel.
In addition to Fundación Valenciaport and ABS Hellenic, the National Technical University of Athens will collaborate in the project.