China Classification Society (CCS) has classed China's first domestically built ammonia-fuelled gas carrier, the 25,000-cbm André M, which was delivered on 6 November with dual-fuel capability.

The ship was built by CSSC Huangpu Wenchong, designed by Shanghai Ship Research and Design Institute and reviewed by CCS's Guangzhou branch for owner Tianjin Southwest Shipping. According to CCS, it is the first gas carrier with Type A tanks using ammonia as fuel to be classed by the society and the second such vessel globally.

The 159.9-metre vessel has a reserved ammonia refuelling interface, for which it has received the 'ABDR 1' pre-installed designation for refuelling functionality. It is fitted with a WinGD 6X52DF-A-1.0 ammonia-fuelled main engine using WinGD's next-generation high-pressure ammonia direct-injection technology.

CCS said the vessel meets the requirements of the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) MSC.1/Circ.1702 interim guidance on using ammonia cargo as fuel, allowing the ship to draw directly from its liquid ammonia cargo for propulsion. The vessel can switch between fuel oil and ammonia fuel modes and has received the Ammonia Fuel additional designation from CCS. The classification society explained that nitrogen oxide emissions are reduced when the main engine runs in ammonia fuel mode, with the vessel achieving what it described as near-zero carbon emissions in that mode.

CCS noted that the project, launched in early 2024, took two and a half years to complete. Its Guangzhou branch set up a project team drawing on its drawing review centre, classification department and product department to handle drawing review, product development and on-site inspection throughout the process.

One of the challenges the team faced was the absence, at the project's outset, of regulatory frameworks covering liquefied gas carriers using ammonia cargo as fuel. CCS said its Guangzhou Design Review Centre, supported by the CCS Wuhan Standards Institute, held technical discussions with the shipowner, shipyard and regulatory bodies in the Marshall Islands and Singapore to develop a technical standard acceptable to all parties involved.

To align with the shipyard's production schedule for the vessel's A-bay, CCS said its review centre introduced a pre-approval model, dispatching staff to Shanghai Ship Research and Design Institute to carry out finite element and temperature field calculations alongside the design process. This allowed relevant drawings to be approved as the A-bay design was finalised, which CCS said shortened the submission cycle.

Before delivery, the project team worked during the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays to address technical issues related to the ammonia fuel mode, maintaining contact with regulatory authorities to report on proposed technical solutions, with these solutions being subsequently approved by the relevant authorities.

CCS said the vessel's delivery demonstrates the feasibility of using ammonia fuel on liquefied gas carriers and that its Guangzhou branch will continue researching ammonia-fuelled ship technology, with plans to document the technical and service experience gained from the project. The society added that it aims to support the development of further new-energy vessel projects as part of efforts tied to the shipping industry's low-carbon transition.