Recently, Nantong CIMC Sinopacific Offshore & Engineering (hereinafter referred to as “CIMC SOE”) successfully shipped the world’s first 3,000 cbm liquid ammonia fuel tank for the 210,000 DWT ammonia fuel-powered bulk carrier built by Qingdao SunRui Marine Environment Engineering Co., Ltd. (SunRui) and Beihai Shipbuilding, marking a historic breakthrough for CIMC SOE in the field of key equipment manufacturing for clean energy ships.
It is reported that this liquid ammonia fuel tank is the first large-scale marine liquid ammonia fuel storage equipment designed, built and delivered worldwide. The project has a total of 10 ship sets, each of which is equipped with two independent C-type liquid tanks, and the design volume of a single tank is 3,000 cubic meters. Its scale and material welding performance represent the top level of the current industry.
Liquid ammonia is a highly potential “zero-carbon” marine fuel that does not produce carbon dioxide when burned. Its large-scale application is one of the key paths for the shipping industry to achieve the emission reduction goals of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The successful delivery of this batch of liquid ammonia fuel tanks has laid a solid equipment foundation for the commercial operation of ammonia fuel-powered ships.
As the first ship set product of the world’s first project, the development process of this project was full of unprecedented challenges. With solid technical skills and rigorous work attitude, CIMC SOE successfully broke through a series of “bottleneck” technical difficulties such as materials and processes, and finally completed the construction and delivery of the first tank on time with high quality. This is not only a strong proof of CIMC SOE’s engineering design and manufacturing capabilities, but also the best interpretation of its spirit of innovation, responsibility and excellence.
As the global shipping industry increasingly demands a green and low-carbon transition, the market for new clean fuel ships such as ammonia, hydrogen, and methanol will see significant growth. CIMC SOE will continue to increase R&D investment and technological innovation in the field of clean energy storage and transportation equipment, continuously improve its core competitiveness and delivery capabilities, and strive to provide global customers with safer, more efficient and more environmentally friendly offshore engineering solutions.