AFC Energy

At last month’s MariNH3 conference in Nottingham, a series of keynotes laid out the opportunities and challenges ahead for marine ammonia fuel. Onboard ammonia cracking technologies are moving through testing phases and closer to commercialisation, vessel designers are working through the unique challenges of carrying ammonia fuel onboard, and emissions mitigation technology (in combination with adherence to existing Tier 3 standards) will be necessary to ensure that ammonia-powered vessels are more environmentally-friendly than conventional counterparts.

H2SITE successfully used its membrane-based ammonia cracking technology coupled with a PEM fuel cell to power auxiliary services onboard the BERTHA B as it sailed along the Gulf of Biscay. In the UK, AFC Energy will continue validation of a 140 kg-per-day demonstration plant, featuring its modular ammonia cracker technology.

Sunborne Systems ran a successful demonstration for its ammonia cracking reactor in Oxford, producing a fuel blend capable of powering a small vehicle or small generator unit. Also in the UK, AFC Energy announced a similarly successful demonstration of its integrated cracker and purifier system, producing hydrogen fuel which meets purity & ISO standards for heavy vehicle refueling.

The UK government will fund a new red diesel replacement project from engine developers MAHLE Powertrain and partners Clean Air Power and the University of Nottingham. The trio will demonstrate decarbonisation of heavy duty engines using ammonia and hydrogen fuel, or a blend of the two. Fortescue Future Industries and Liebherr are also involved in the decarbonisation of the UK construction sector, with agreements on hydrogen fuel supply & engine development signed last October. Fuel cells also enter this mix, with AFC Energy currently rolling out off-grid, ammonia-powered gensets on construction sites in London and Madrid.

AFC Energy has designed a developed a containerised, integrated, ammonia-fed propulsion system that will power the new "ZeroCoaster" vessel design. The ZeroCoaster consortium, led by Vard Engineering and including ABB, Trosvik Maritime, SINTEF Ocean and HK Shipping (plus support from the Norweigian government) is developing the next generation of coastal bulk cargo carriers. With the propulsion system design in place, DNV GL granted commercial Approval in Principle to the ZeroCoaster design this week, allowing the consortium to begin discussions with potential buyers.

AFC Energy PLC, the British fuel cell company, announced on May 20 the successful conclusion of “ammonia to power (‘A2P’) fuel cell generator trials.”  The result is “proof of concept” for a system consisting of an "off the shelf" ammonia cracker and a proprietary alkaline fuel cell that can readily utilize hydrogen with residual quantities of uncracked ammonia.  The achievement positions AFC “to conclude work on the business case and engineering of an integrated, scalable ammonia fuelled clean power generator.”

GenCell Energy, the Israeli fuel cell manufacturer, has made two major announcements in the last month. In June, it unveiled its ammonia-fueled alkaline fuel cell system. In July, it announced its first commercial customer. Its A5 Off-Grid Power Solution is a "nano power plant that operates fully independent of the grid." The first phase of product trials, using ammonia as a fuel to provide uninterruptible power to cell phone masts, will begin in Kenya by the end of this year, and "product roll-out" is expected in the second half of 2019.