NYK’s bulker arm and miner Corporacion Nacional del Cobre de Chile (Codelco) have signed an agreement to build what could be the first of up to 15 ammonia dual-fuel handymaxes.
The Japanese shipowner said NYK Bulk & Projects Carriers (NBP) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Oshima Shipbuilding and Sumitomo Corp to study, design and construct the “world’s first” ammonia dual-fuel handymax bulker that will “reduce CO2 emissions to zero”.
The vessel will be developed and built by Oshima Shipbuilding.
NYK said this ground-breaking bulker would be one of a fleet of 10 to 15 vessels dedicated to transporting copper products.
The ships would be operated by NBP and transport products from Chile to the Far East.
This new agreement to move forward on a first pioneering newbuilding follows the signing of an MOU between NBP and Codelco in Singapore in November 2022 to study the decarbonised transportation of copper products.
NYK said “substantial progress” on the project has been made since.
Ambition turned reality
State-owned Codelco is the world’s largest copper producer.
At the signing, Codelco chairman Maximo Pacheco said: “What was an ambitious idea less than one year ago is a reality today.
“At Codelco, we have the duty to be a leader for more sustainable mining for our country, and this project is a great signal to the other actors as we work to make Chile the first country in the world to demonstrate how an energy transition and [greenhouse gas] emissions reduction are possible.”
NBP president Masashi Suda said: “This is a concrete first step towards a decarbonised society for Codelco and NBP.”
