Maersk Tankers, the Danish shipowner, has reached a stage where it is set to convert four very large ammonia carriers (VLACs) to utilize the cargo they carry. This action follows the selection of their retrofit proposal by the European Union under the Union's Innovation Fund.
Details of the RIPPLE Project
This project, known as RIPPLE, involves the installation of dual-fuel, two-stroke ammonia engines on four vessels from the company's growing gas carrier fleet. The European Commission has invited this project to begin the grant agreement process, although the final amount of financial support has yet to be determined.
Maersk Tankers has stated that any decision to advance this project depends on securing commercial commitments from customers. These proposed conversions will enable the vessels to use ammonia as a propulsion fuel and no longer rely on conventional marine fuels.
Environmental Impacts and Future of the Project
According to the project descriptions from the Commission, RIPPLE represents the first dual-fuel ammonia retrofit on a VLAC. This project is expected to prevent more than 1.2 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions over the next decade, provided that the conversions and planned operations proceed.
Maersk Tankers is building a fleet of ten VLACs with a capacity of 93,000 cubic meters at HD Hyundai Samho Shipyard in South Korea. The company returned to the gas carrier sector in 2023 with an initial order of four vessels and subsequently exercised additional options.
These vessels are designed with the capability to convert to ammonia fuel, although the installation of the necessary engines has always depended on commercial conditions and regulations. The recent selection for funding this project brings the conversion option a step closer to implementation.
The Commission has selected 77 projects in its latest round of the Innovation Fund, and final grant agreements are expected to be determined in the first quarter of 2027.
