ABS Approves MISC and China Offshore’s Ammonia FPSO Design

MISC and China Offshore Engineering & Technology Company have received the Approval in Principle (AiP) from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) for their design of an ammonia floating production storage and offloading (FPSO).

This innovative floater solution adapts proven onshore production technology for offshore operations, transforming unutilized hydrocarbon gas from nearby offshore facilities into high-value blue ammonia, which is stored onboard at cryogenic conditions.

This standalone facility provides a viable pathway for upstream developers to monetize gas that would otherwise be reinjected, strategically shortening the ammonia supply chain and improving its well-to-gate carbon emission profile.

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 utilizes 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 phase, with the AiP milestone achieved in the fourth