Floating Ammonia Production Unit Receives Design Approval

Netherland: BW Offshore, a leading Norwegian energy firm, is teaming up with Netherlands-based SwitchH2 to develop an innovative new floating production unit (FPSO) for industrial-scale green Ammonia production. This collaboration takes advantage of BW Offshore's long-standing expertise in offshore production and positions them at the forefront of this emerging renewable energy source.

Conn Fagan, DNV’s Vice President of Business Development for Floating Production, recently announced that their technical feasibility assessment has confirmed the progress of the vessel design. The Approval in Principle (AiP) they granted covers all aspects of the integrated vessel concept, such as structural integrity, mooring, Ammonia production, Ammonia storage and cargo handling. This signals that the basic design phase is now ready to begin.

A new concept for renewable energy production could soon be a reality, as plans are in motion to build the world's first NH3 FPSO unit. Either through the conversion of an existing Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) or a dedicated newbuild vessel, the unit is set to get its power mainly from a wind farm and produce Hydrogen and nitrogen via electrolysis of seawater and air separation, respectively. The combination of these elements will enable the synthesis of Ammonia, which can then be used as a clean source of energy.

A revolutionary new NH3 Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel will be moored permanently in a designated spot, however it can be easily relocated if necessary. The Ammonia produced by the unit will be condensed and stored in the hull before being offloaded to an Ammonia carrier. This offloading process will take place through a floating hose that connects the aft of the ship to a shuttle Ammonia carrier midship manifold.

“At BW Offshore, we leverage our offshore experience to support and expedite the energy transition by engineering next-generation floating production solutions. Achieving this AiP is an important milestone and an encouraging step towards a cleaner energy mix,” says Fredrik Savio, SVP Project Development at BW Offshore.

H2Carrier, a Norwegian startup company, announced at the start of this year that it is making progress in the development of a project to produce green Ammonia from its first vessel powered by Greenland’s first commercial wind farm. With 1.5GW of renewable energy being generated from onshore wind turbines, the vessel would be able to produce Hydrogen and green Ammonia in an eco-friendly manner.

A new way of shipping Hydrogen has been developed, in which it is stored as green Ammonia and then exported on smaller vessels for the international market. The green Ammonia can be used as is, or it can be converted back into Hydrogen for other applications.

Wind farms in Northern Europe have the potential to produce more energy with the help of fixed Hydrogen production platforms. This is an exciting development, as it could lead to faster progress in terms of the traditional floating production and existing vessels. Ammonia and Hydrogen are seen as possible alternatives to traditional energy sources and both companies are looking into these avenues for further exploration.