PETALING JAYA: MISC Bhd and China Offshore Engineering & Technology Co Ltd have received approval-in-principle (AiP) from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) for their pioneering design of an ammonia floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) unit on Dec 2 during Marintec 2025 in Shanghai, China.
The innovative floater solution adapts proven onshore production technology for offshore operations, transforming unutilised hydrocarbon gas from nearby offshore facilities into high-value blue ammonia, which is stored onboard at cryogenic conditions.
The standalone facility provides a viable pathway for upstream developers to monetise gas that would otherwise be reinjected, strategically shortening the ammonia supply chain and improving its well-to-gate carbon emission profile.
MISC president and group CEO Zahid Osman said, “The ammonia FPSO concept is aligned with MISC’s commitment to #deliveringProgress and accelerating the pathway to deliver more energy with less emissions. This new concept is a result of strategic collaboration that drives impactful change that is needed in our industry. By adapting a proven onshore technology for offshore use, we are not just creating a new concept, we are supporting the offshore industry to achieve its lower carbon ambitions.”
ABS senior vice-president, global offshore, Miguel Hernandez said ABS is proud to share its deep insight into the safety challenges of ammonia, along with its extensive technical expertise on complex floating production facilities.
The ammonia FPSO will receive feed gas from a nearby host facility, such as an oil-producing FPSO. Once storage is near capacity, the liquid ammonia can be directly exported to liquid ammonia carriers (LAC) in tandem. The topside plant utilises a robust, modular design, capable of processing varying feed gas specifications to produce clean ammonia with 99.8% purity.
The project is currently in the pre-feed study phase, which includes a thorough assessment of capital and operating expenditures, and is scheduled for completion in first quarter 2026.
The facility is designed for an annual production capacity of 1 million tonnes of liquid ammonia.
The initiative is jointly developed by MISC and China Offshore. Both parties work in collaboration with ammonia technology licensors Kellogg Brown & Root and LNT Marine for the ammonia cargo containment design. ABS is appointed by the consortium to provide independent review and validate the project’s technical feasibility and safety.
