Japanese global shipping company NYK Group began operation of a test engine facility in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, to evaluate the safety of new fuels.
Shipping is responsible for roughly 3% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Replacing fossil fuels with more sustainable fuels such as green hydrogen, green ammonia or biofuels–made using renewable energy–is considered a huge step toward decarbonizing the industry.
NYK notes that testing the new fuels for efficiency and emissions, along with trial operations, would require about two years to complete. It’s essential to shorten this period to reduce the cost of testing and meet the increasing demand for new fuels to satisfy the environmental regulatory measures of various countries. NYK’s said using its own test engine to conduct stress tests allows the company to eliminate the need for trial operations and aim for practical use within a period of three months.
Utilizing the engine operation and fuel-oil analysis technologies of NYK Group companies Boltech Co. Ltd. and Nippon Yuka Kogyo Co. Ltd. allows NYK to verify the potential of various new marine fuels and accelerate their practical application and commercialization.
