Zero-Emissions Ships Using New Fuels to Get Safety Guidelines
13:09 JST, May 1, 2023
The government plans to devise safety guidelines for ammonia- and hydrogen-fueled ships to promote zero-emissions vessels that do not emit greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide.
The guidelines will be established to prevent accidents involving such ships and provide guidance to reduce production costs by standardizing equipment. The government aims to formulate the guidelines in fiscal 2025 or later.
The Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry established a public-private council for the decarbonization of the shipping industry last year. Working with shipping and shipbuilding companies, the council is expected to begin developing new types of ships fueled by ammonia and hydrogen, which are the focus of international competition.
However, ammonia and hydrogen have different issues to be tackled than those for the existing heavy fuel oil, because no international safety standards exist for such fuels.
For example, burning ammonia produces nitrous oxide, which has a greenhouse effect greater than that of CO2. Although technologies to suppress that effect have been established to a certain extent, there is room for improvement.
The government plans to specify operational procedures and safety measures for fuel transfers to ships and delineate danger zones for fuel leakage, while referencing guidelines for liquefied natural gas-fueled ships that were established in 2013.
The guidelines will also stipulate precautions to be taken during nighttime fuel transfers; cargo loading, transporting and unloading; and passenger boarding and disembarking.
"Politics" POPULAR ARTICLE
-
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida Promotes Revised NISA Investment Program to Young People; Kishida Focusing on Moving Money From Savings to Investment in a Safe Environment
-
“High Probability” 2 MSDF Patrol Helicopters Collided near Torishima Island; 1 Dead, 7 Others Onboard Missing (Update 2)
-
84% of People Nationwide Say They Feel Japan’s National Security Is Under Threat
-
Russia to Ban Non-Registered Vessels from Waters Around Northern Territories From April 11 to 17
-
Japan-U.K. Foreign Ministers Confirm Deepening Cooperation in Security Field; Kamikawa Underscores Importance of NATO Ties
JN ACCESS RANKING
- China Mutes Memorialization of Reformer Hu Yaobang; Memories Could Spark Critique of Xi Administration
- Shinkansen Services Suspended After Man ‘Searches for Phone’ on Tracks; Disruption Affects About 14,000 Passengers
- U.S. 7th Fleet officer Arrested on Suspicion of Stealing Sushi, Sashimi, Chicken at Kanagawa Shopping Mall; Suspect Caught Mid-Meal
- UNRWA Director Describes Catastrophic Destruction in Gaza; Says Relief Trucks Robbed, ‘People’s Hearts Destroyed’
- JAL Airplane Experiences Radio Malfunction During Flight, Lands Safely By Relying on Light Signals