A consortium of Japanese shipping companies comprising NYK Line (NYK), NYK Bulk & Projects Carriers Ltd (NBP), TSUNEISHI SHIPBUILDING Co., Ltd (TSUNEISHI SHIPBUILDING), and UK-headed renewable energy group Drax Group plc (Drax), have recently signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop both the world’s first biomass-fuelled ship (bioship) and the tech that could power it.
Biomass is playing a growing role in Japan’s transition from fossil fuel power generation to low carbon and renewable electricity, and the country’s demand for biomass pellets, sourced primarily from North America and composed of sawmill and forestry residues, is increasing.
Drax Group, the world’s second-largest wood pellet producer, has pellet production in both the US South and Canada.
The company has a longstanding relationship with NBP which transports its pellets to Japan.
These pellets are currently shipped through smaller handysize bulkers, which, due to the limited size of their fuel tanks, have proved challenging to switch to lower emission fuels, such as ammonia.
Through the MoU, signed mid-May at the British Embassy in Tokyo, Japan, the companies will initially start research to develop the new shipping technology, an on-board biomass energy plant required to power a bioship.
Drax aims to be carbon-negative by 2030 and decarbonising our supply chain is critical to reaching this goal. This MoU is an important step in the development of the technology required to power and launch the world’s first bioship, which will support Drax’s decarbonization goals but could also drive the innovation needed to transform shipping and cut carbon emissions and fuel costs in global supply chains. I’m looking forward to working with our partners NYK, NBP, and TSUNEISHI SHIPBUILDING, to explore the potential this technology has to support global efforts to address the climate crisis. We are also exploring the role of other renewable technologies in delivering greener shipping, said Paul Sheffield, Chief Commercial Officer at Drax Group.
The four companies are exploring how other renewable technologies could be used to reduce emissions and fuel costs of shipping biomass.
This initiative is part of NYK’s long-term target of net-zero emission of greenhouse gas by 2050 for the NYK Group’s oceangoing businesses. The NYK Group is committed to providing its expertise in low-carbon and decarbonized maritime transportation as per this MoU and will utilize the knowledge gained in this research and development to promote initiatives related to various energy-saving technologies. Through our strength in high-quality transportation services, we will continue to co-create value for society with our partners Drax and TSUNEISHI SHIPBUILDING, said Shinichi Yanagisawa, Executive Officer of NYK Line.
Explore onboard biomass gasification
The onboard energy plant would use a gasifier to gasify pellets at high temperatures and create and contain gases including carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and methane (synthesis gas – syngas).
The syngas would then be used to power a generator which could propel the bioship and provide a proportion of its internal power.
The installation of a biomass energy plant could see up to a 22 percent reduction in well-to-wake carbon emissions in bioships when compared to using fossil fuels.
TSUNEISHI SHIPBUILDING focuses on reducing the global environmental impact in the design and construction of our vessels and has declared to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. To realize this aim and recognize ourselves as a frontrunner of an environmentally friendly yard, we are driving to develop and construct new fueled vessels that combine environmental impact reduction and economic efficiency. We are very proud to be involved in this project, which aims to achieve the world’s first maritime transport using wood biomass energy, in collaboration with NYK Line, NYK Bulk & Projects Carriers, and Drax Group. This project is an attempt to implement ‘Creating the future, today’ as the TSUNEISHI Group slogan, and TSUNEISHI SHIPBUILDING will contribute by demonstrating our function as a shipbuilder for the project members, said Kenichi Shibata, Managing Executive Officer of TSUNEISHI SHIPBUILDING.
If this development is successful, the companies will jointly study the possibility of building a bioship by the end of 2029.
Drax is a leading renewable energy company, and we are honored to be a part of this symbolic project to use its main products as environmentally friendly fuel in the transportation of the products themselves. After a study of the biomass fuel plant and gasifier system, Drax, TSUNEISHI SHIPBUILDING, NYK, and NBP have concluded an MoU for the feasibility study on the development of the world’s first wood pellets-powered Super Low-Emission Vessel. This is an important step towards a decarbonized society for all concerned parties. NBP will continue to contribute to global decarbonization together with its customers and partners, ended Masashi Suda, President of NBP.
