Sweden's FKAB Marine Design has confirmed that the world's first operational ammonia bunkering vessel has entered service.
Shenghang Yongle (盛航永乐) was originally built as an ammonia carrier but has been converted into a bunkering vessel under a project led by China's Jiangsu Andefu Energy Development. FKAB, together with cargo handling supplier Gloryholder, provided the technical drawing documentation for the conversion.
Originally designed as a flexible liquefied gas carrier, the vessel has been upgraded from a conventional ammonia carrier into a dual-purpose vessel capable of both transporting liquid ammonia and delivering it as fuel through ship-to-ship bunkering.
Shenghang Yongle is a 5,500-cubic-metre, semi-refrigerated and semi-pressurised liquefied gas carrier. The vessel was designed by FKAB, built by China Merchants Shipbuilding Industry Dingheng shipyard and is managed by Nanjing Shenghang Shipping.
Designed for unrestricted navigation, the vessel can carry several liquefied gas cargoes, including ammonia, LPG and vinyl chloride monomer. Its cargo tanks have a minimum design temperature of −48°C, and the vessel is equipped with two low-temperature reliquefication systems.
