The NH3CRAFT project was structured around five strategic pillars: engineering and design, techno-commercial evaluation, safety and risk management, digital tools development, and regulatory framework evolution. Activities and results were carefully documented in each work package, ensuring quality, traceability, and coherence. This systematic approach allowed the project’s diverse objectives to be addressed in an integrated way, aligning innovation with safety, regulatory, and operational requirements.
At the outset, RINA assisted to define the demonstrator vessel, initiated desktop studies, and established KPIs using the QFD method. Tank containment system engineering was led by EKME and CONNOVA, with HYDRUS providing support, progressing designs from concept to detailed level for the demonstrator and to basic design for desktop studies. Parallel development of auxiliary systems enabled a comprehensive review process, culminating in Approval in Principle (AiP) by ABS Classification Society. Following design approval, raw materials were delivered to manufacturers (EKME and CNV), and fabrication commenced. Due to safety and regulatory constraints, full-scale demonstrations were performed at land-based facilities using a non-toxic medium, replicating vessel conditions to validate tank and auxiliary system performance.
Digital innovation was spearheaded by TUD and Enisolv, who developed a platform integrating critical design parameters. A live monitoring module provided real-time data acquisition and performance tracking during demonstration, strengthening the digital validation process. Risk and safety aspects were extensively addressed through HAZID, HAZOP, FMEA, and QRA studies, with results feeding directly into design refinements, mitigation strategies, and safety assessment guidelines.
ABS issued a new technology maturity statement after reviewing designs, witnessing prototype construction, and evaluating demonstrations, while also identifying recommendations for Class rule integration. On the non-technical side, NTUA analysed scalability and modularity of the systems, while TWI conducted techno-commercial evaluations, LCA, and LCCA studies. These activities confirmed both the technical feasibility and the economic potential of NH3CRAFT’s innovative tank containment solutions, offering a pathway toward broader adoption of ammonia as a clean marine fuel.
