GAC Group: ammonia combustion engines in China
Chinese automotive manufacturer GAC Group has unveiled its first ammonia-powered, 120 kW engine for passenger cars at a recent showcase event in Guangzhou.
Chinese automotive manufacturer GAC Group has unveiled its first ammonia-powered, 120 kW engine for passenger cars at a recent showcase event in Guangzhou.
The cost gap between fossil-based ammonia production and electrolysis-based ammonia production in China is arguably the smallest in the world. In our May episode of Ammonia Project Features, we explored two new, “flexible” renewable ammonia projects being developed in northeast China, as well as some of the engineering challenges as we scale-up electrolysis plants to gigawatt-sized.
The Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation released the public findings from its Ammonia bunkering pilot safety study last month. Three potential pilot sites have been identified in Singapore, and a combined HAZID - QRA methodology has found that 400 operational and locational risks for ammonia bunkering were all classed as low or mitigable. Sign up for our upcoming Ammonia Energy APAC conference in August to learn more, when GCMD Chief Technical Officer Dr. Sanjay Kuttan will join us in-person to explore the report and answer your key questions.
Two ammonia-ready vessels - the CMA CGM Masai Mara and the ALS Ceres - were delivered this May. Both are the first in a series of six containerships contracted to be built at different Chinese shipyards.
A new MoU between WinGD and Mitsubishi Shipbuilding will see the deployment of WinGD’s X-DF-A ammonia-fueled engines to a range of vessels. In Norway, Wärtsilä has unveiled a safety system designed for continuous onboard monitoring of ammonia leaks, featuring a staged combustion process to deal with accidental releases. And classification society DNV has awarded AiP to two significant ammonia-fueled vessel designs: the MS NoGAPs, and Viridis Bulk Carriers’ short sea bulk carrier.
India’s state-owned oil and gas company ONGC will invest $13 billion to deploy 10 GW of renewable energy generation by 2030. At least 5 GW of this will be in Rajasthan, where ONGC and Greenko have an agreement to develop a million-tonne-per-year ammonia production facility. ONGC is considering a similar-sized ammonia facility in Karnataka, potentially powered with offshore wind.
Norwegian technology developer Pherousa announced that it has developed & validated an ammonia cracking-based propulsion system, with plans to order six Ultramax vessels fitted with the technology. Grieg Maritime has ordered up to four ammonia-ready bulk carriers from China State Shipbuilding Corporation for delivery in 2026. And a new container ship design has been unveiled by the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping.
Meet JOGMEC and Tsubame BHB to explore a new CCS-based ammonia production project in Japan, utilising enhanced gas recovery (EGR) for CCS, as well as Tsubame’s alternative technology to Haber-Bosch for ammonia synthesis.