MISC Berhad (MISC) and China Offshore Engineering & Technology Company Limited (China Offshore) have received the 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 2 December 2025 during Marintec 2025 in Shanghai, China.
This 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. This 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.
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 phase, with the AiP milestone achieved in Q4 2025. The Pre-FEED study, which includes a thorough assessment of capital and operating expenditures (CAPEX & OPEX), is scheduled for completion in Q1 2026. The facility is designed for an annual production capacity of 1.0 million tonnes of liquid Ammonia