The Korean Register (KR) announced on March 29, 2021, that it recently granted AIP for the “8K ammonia bunkering ship,” which was developed by KMS EMEC in Korea, for the first time at its headquarters in Busan.

AIP is a procedure that verifies the safety in the application of technology and the compliance with international regulations at the basic design stage when constructing a ship wherein a new technology is applied. Receiving an AIP from the KR enables the developer to receive orders for new concept ships.

Since new technology without prior track records usually hardly leads to the deliveries to shipyards, the AIP from certification body is a de facto certificate for commercialization of such technology. The 8K ammonia bunkering ship was successfully developed last June through a joint project involving KR, KMS EMEC, Navig8, which is a shipping company in Singapore, etc.

KMS EMEC took full charge of the ammonia bunkering ship’s basic design, and KR verified the design safety and suitability by reviewing domestic and foreign regulations and conducting risk assessments. Navig8, which participated as the “first applicable shipping company,” reviewed the commercial and operational economic feasibility of the ammonia fuel for the ship.