Japanese companies Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK), NYK Bulk and Projects Carriers (NBP) and Tsuneishi Shipbuilding and UK renewable energy firm the Drax Group have entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to develop both the world's first biomass-fuelled ship or "bioship" and the technology that could power it.
The project is being initiated in anticipation of the increasing availability of biomass pellets sourced primarily from sawmill and forestry residues in Canada and the southern United States.
NYK said the pellets are currently shipped through smaller handysize bulkers, which, due to the limited size of their fuel tanks, have difficulty switching to lower-emission fuels such as ammonia.
Through the MOU, the companies will initially conduct research to develop the new shipping technology, an on-board biomass fuel plant, which will be required to power a bioship. The companies are also exploring how other renewable technologies can be used to reduce both the emissions and fuel costs of shipping biomass.
The biomass fuel plant will use a gasifier to combust biomass at high temperatures and create and contain gases including carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and methane. These gases will then be used to power a generator that could propel the ship and also provide a proportion of its internal power.
NYK said the installation of a biomass fuel plant could see a 22 per cent reduction in well-to-wake carbon emissions in bioships when compared to using fossil fuels. If this development is successful, the companies will jointly study the possibility of building a bioship by the end of 2029.