A new Ultramax bulk carrier concept from Oshima Shipbuilding has received approval in principle from Lloyd’s Register. The AiP covers a 64,000 dwt vessel developed to operate on several alternative fuels, including ammonia, methanol and methane (LNG), while also allowing for the future installation of an onboard carbon capture (OCC) system.
The approval was formally presented at Oshima’s headquarters in Japan on 23 January 2026. It follows a similar approval awarded by Japan’s ClassNK in December, giving the concept backing from two major classification societies.
For shipowners, the significance lies less in any single technology and more in the architecture of optionality. Fuel markets for ammonia, methanol and LNG remain at very different stages of maturity, with infrastructure, pricing and regulatory treatment still evolving. At the same time, OCCS is emerging as a potential compliance tool for near-term emissions compliance.
Sung-Gu Park, North East Asia president at Lloyd’s Register, said: ‘The maritime industry is navigating a period of profound uncertainty as operators evaluate future fuel pathways, infrastructure development, and evolving global regulatory expectations. Oshima’s approach, embedding flexibility for ammonia, methanol, LNG, and onboard carbon capture from the outset, provides shipowners with a practical and future resilient solution as they plan their decarbonisation strategies.’
The approval process was carried out under LR’s ShipRight Risk Based Certification framework, which assesses safety, feasibility and the integration of complex systems at an early design stage. LR evaluated how this alternative fuel systems and OCCS equipment might coexist with cargo operations, machinery layouts and safety requirements, with the aim of providing owners confidence that the concept can progress towards detailed engineering and potential construction.
Dr Junichi Man, managing director of Oshima Shipbuilding, emphasised that adaptability is now becoming a commercial necessity: ‘As future fuel options diversify and global regulations continue to evolve, flexibility is becoming increasingly important for shipowners,” he said. “By enabling compatibility with ammonia, methanol, LNG, and onboard CO2 capture systems, our concept offers a practical and future-ready solution.’
Bulk carriers typically operate for more than two decades and the sector has historically been conservative in adopting new propulsion technologies. Over a vessel’s lifetime, regulatory pressure is expected to intensify, carbon prices are likely to rise, and customer demand for low-emissions transport will grow. Designing ships that can be adapted to different fuels or fitted with onboard carbon capture and storage systems offers a way to preserve asset value and avoid premature obsolescence.
OCCS, in particular, is gaining attention as a transitional or complementary technology. While alternative fuels promise near-zero emissions at the point of use, their availability at scale remains uncertain. OCCS systems will allow vessels to continue using conventional or transitional fuels while meeting regional or route-specific emissions requirements, especially in carbon-regulated markets.
