A new floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) unit design from SBM Offshore, focused on the production of blue ammonia, has earned approval in principle from ABS. The Blue Ammonia FPSO opens new ways to valorize offshore gas by converting extracted natural gas into ammonia while capturing the CO2 via Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology.

Technology and Applications

The ammonia produced by the FPSO will ultimately serve as a decarbonized energy source for the power and maritime transportation sectors, as well as the global ammonia market. The design represents SBM Offshore's approach to converting offshore natural gas resources into ammonia while implementing carbon capture technology to manage CO2 emissions from the process.

ABS completed design reviews based on class and statutory requirements for the blue ammonia FPSO concept. The classification society is described as the global leader in the FPSO market, continuing to provide the most complete suite of technical guidance in the industry.

Industry Executive Perspectives

Miguel Hernandez, ABS Senior Vice President, Global Offshore, commented on the project: “We are seeing rapid innovation and new developments around ammonia as an alternative fuel, whether as a carrier of hydrogen or as a fuel in its own right. ABS is proud to work with SBM Offshore on this project, sharing our deep insight into the safety challenges of ammonia, along with our extensive technical expertise on complex FPSOs.”

Olivier Icyk, SBM Offshore's Chief Business Officer, stated: “The Blue Ammonia FPSO marks a pivotal moment in SBM Offshore's journey to decarbonize and diversify, and exemplifies our TRUE. BLUE. TRANSITION strategy. We continue to leverage our ocean infrastructure expertise to pioneer solutions for the energy transition. It's a bold step into the blue economy, where we continue to unlock new markets and deliver sustainable value.”

Strategic Positioning

The blue ammonia FPSO design is described as an important step in SBM Offshore's strategic path to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. The project aligns with what the company calls its “TRUE. BLUE. TRANSITION strategy” and represents its efforts to leverage ocean infrastructure expertise for energy transition solutions. SBM Offshore positions itself as the world's deepwater ocean-infrastructure expert, operating through the design, construction, installation, and operation of offshore floating facilities.

The company states it plays a pivotal role in a just transition, delivering cleaner, more efficient energy production while pioneering new markets within the blue economy. More than 7,800 employees collaborate worldwide to deliver innovative solutions as a responsible partner towards a sustainable future, striking a balance between ocean protection and progress.

Company Backgrounds

ABS describes itself as a global leader in classification services, focused on delivering a safer, cleaner future for the marine and offshore industries. The organization has been setting standards for safety and excellence for over 160 years and continues to innovate in the fields of clean technology, digitalization, and artificial intelligence, providing industry-leading technical advisory services.

ABS operates with a global network of surveyors, engineers, technology specialists, and support staff, working with industry leaders, including its members and clients around the world, to improve safety in operational performance and efficiency with innovative solutions for the complete life cycle of marine and offshore assets. The approval represents a collaboration between ABS's expertise in ammonia safety challenges and complex FPSO technical knowledge, combined with SBM Offshore's ocean infrastructure capabilities.

The project demonstrates the ongoing development of alternative fuel technologies in the maritime sector, with ammonia being explored both as a carrier of hydrogen and as a fuel in its own right.

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