據ICIS網站8月10日消息 日本商船三井（MOL）已達成造船協議，全球最大的氨運輸船將在2023/2024年進行首次航行。

　　MOL子公司Phoenix Tankers與Namura Shipbuilding之間的協議涉及建造兩艘大型氣體運輸船（VLGC），以運輸液化石油氣（LPG）和氨。

　　每艘油輪的容量約為8.7萬立方米，可運載約5.8萬噸氨氣，比目前運營的最大油輪的容量高出近50%。

　　南浦造船將與三菱造船有限公司進行技術合作，在其Imari造船廠建造這兩艘船舶，但未披露財務細節。

　　MOL在新聞發布會上表示：“這些船舶也可以使用液化石油氣燃料，計劃在2023年后陸續交付……旨在最大限度地提高燃油效率。”

　　氨作為下一代清潔燃料，在燃燒時不會排放二氧化碳，并且作為可用于運輸氫氣的“氫載體”，正在引起人們的注意。

　　新訂購的船舶還設計用于運輸氨，目前是世界上最大規模的氨運輸船。

　　此外，由于液化石油氣和氨燃料具有相似的特性，因此，這些船舶的建造將著眼于將來轉換為氨燃料。

　　氨本身是一種肥料，是氮肥和磷肥的關鍵成分，用于己內酰胺等化工產品，氨的交易十分廣泛。

　　大約160萬噸/月的氨由海船運輸，每次約有60艘油輪在水面上航行，容量從4000噸到40000噸不等。

　　王磊 摘譯自 ICIS

　　原文如下：

　　Japan's MOL places order for world's largest ammonia tankers

　　Japan's Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd (MOL) has struck a shipbuilding deal that should see the world’s largest ammonia carriers perform their maiden voyages in 2023/2024.

　　The agreement between MOL arm Phoenix Tankers Pte. Ltd and Namura Shipbuilding Co. Ltd involves the construction of two very large gas carriers (VLGCs) to transport liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and ammonia.

　　With a capacity of around 87,000 cubic metres (cbm) each, the vessels could carry about 58,000 tonnes of ammonia – almost 50% more than the capacity of the largest tankers operating currently.

　　Namura Shipbuilding will construct the two vessels at its Imari Shipyard, under a technical tie-up with Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. Financial details were not disclosed.

　　"The vessels, which can also run on LPG fuel, are slated for delivery in succession after 2023 [... and] are designed to maximise fuel efficiency," MOL said in a news release.

　　"Ammonia is drawing attention as a next-generation clean fuel that does not emit carbon dioxide when burned, and as 'hydrogen carrier' that can be used to transport hydrogen.

　　"The newly-ordered vessels are also designed to transport ammonia, and are presently the world's largest-scale ammonia carriers.

　　"Furthermore, the vessels will be built with an eye toward conversion to ammonia fuelled in the future because LPG and ammonia fuels have similar characteristics."

　　A fertilizer in its own right, a key component of nitrogen and phosphate fertilizers and utilised in chemical products like caprolactam, ammonia is widely traded.

　　Around 1.6m tonnes/month of ammonia is moved by marine vessel, with about 60 tankers on the water at any one time, ranging in capacity from 4,000 tonnes to 40,000 tonnes.