Site items in: Ammonia Engine

Ammonia Energy Live February - 2021
Article

Last week we presented the first episode in our monthly webinar series: Ammonia Energy Live. Every month we’ll explore the wonderful world of ammonia energy and the role it will play in global decarbonisation - with an Australian twist. To kick things off we wanted to set the scene for 2021 and give you a sense of where the ammonia transition is at - key projects, key milestones and things to be excited about going forward. And, since this is an Australian-focused series, we wanted to explore what’s important about Australia to the ongoing work of the AEA.

Cracking Ammonia: panel wrap-up from the Ammonia Energy Conference
Article

When should we be cracking ammonia? How much should we be cracking? How could better cracking technologies open up new end uses? What are the critical challenges still to be overcome for cracking ammonia? On November 17, 2020, the Ammonia Energy Association (AEA) hosted a panel discussion moderated by Bill David from Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), as well as panel members Josh Makepeace from the University of Birmingham, Joe Beach from Starfire Energy, Gennadi Finkelshtain from GenCell Energy, Camel Makhloufi from ENGIE, and Michael Dolan from Fortescue as part of the recent Ammonia Energy Conference. All panelists agreed that cracking technology as it stands has a number of key areas to be optimised, particularly catalyst improvements and energy efficiency. But, successful demonstrations of modular, targeted cracking solutions are accelerating the conversation forward.

Marine Ammonia: panel wrap-up from the 2020 Ammonia Energy Conference
Article

What action is needed to unlock the enormous potential of green ammonia as a marine fuel and get the new generation of ammonia-powered vessels on the water? On November 18, 2020, the Ammonia Energy Association (AEA) hosted a panel discussion moderated by Sofia Fürstenberg Stott from Fürstenberg Maritime Advisory, as well as panel members Tue Johannessen from the Center for Zero Carbon Shipping, Katharine Palmer from Lloyd’s Register, Rob Stevens from Yara International, and Kazumasa Taruishi from NYK Energy Transport.

A marine fuel standard for Ammonia - an engine designers perspective
Presentation

The presentation will discuss the challenges for operation on ammonia from an engine designers perspective and show the preliminary fuel standard for ammonia for the MAN Energy Solution ME-LGIA two-stroke engine. The presentation will also discuss drivers for change in the marine industry, and what is required for reaching zero-carbon shipping. A recent MAN-ES technical paper on use of ammonia in two-stroke maritime engines is available here.

US Senators Show Strong Interest in Ammonia-Fueled Shipping
Article

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, led by Chairman Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Ranking Member Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia), recently hosted a hearing on offshore energy technologies. I was invited to testify on technology and policy options for eliminating greenhouse gas emissions from the marine shipping sector, and I used the opportunity to spotlight ammonia's central role in that effort.

Picking bunker winners: the mono-fuel / dual-fuel duel
Article

This week, DNV GL published its annual Maritime Forecast to 2050, concluding that “e-ammonia, blue ammonia and bio-methanol are the most promising carbon-neutral fuels in the long run.” DNV GL’s assumptions that determine this long run, however, suggest a significant mid-term reliance on fossil LNG. This risks locking the industry into a long-term emissions trajectory incompatible with the IMO’s 2050 GHG targets, in part because of significant fuel supply and infrastructure investments. These investments could become more ‘sticky’ than expected. A host of alternative opinions have been published in the days before and after DNV GL published its report. These suggest that, for ammonia, the long run could begin this decade. Among others, MAN ES has announced that its ammonia engine will be available for retrofits by 2025.

Japan's NYK and partners to develop ammonia fueled and fueling vessels
Article

In recent weeks, the Japanese shipping company NYK Line has announced a series of high-profile research and development collaborations that aim to establish ammonia fueled vessels and fuel supply. Its partners in these projects include classification society Class NK, engine manufacturer IHI Power Systems, and shipbuilder Japan Marine United Corporation. Three vessel types have been announced, so far, including an ammonia-fueled ammonia gas carrier, an ammonia barge for offshore bunkering, and an ammonia-fueled tugboat (for navigating the barge). Pushing beyond the initial research phase, these collaborations aim for commercialization and to put these vessels “into practical use.”

How to get approval of an ammonia fuelled vessel
Presentation

“How to get approval for an ammonia fueled vessel” It is well known that ammonia as a fuel is inherently carbon and sulphur free. Compared to fossil fuels, combustion of ammonia reduces CO2, CO, particulates/soot, unburnt hydrocarbons and sulphur oxides by at least 90%. With ongoing research and development to investigate the modifications needed for existing marine diesel engines to combust ammonia, there is a potential of fast adoption by the maritime industry through new builds and perhaps also through retrofits. Today, there are no prescriptive rules and regulations in place for the use of ammonia as fuel in marine…

Wärtsilä, Repsol, and Knutsen to test ammonia four-stroke engine
Article

This week, engine manufacturer Wärtsilä announced “the world’s first long term, full-scale, testing of ammonia as a fuel in a marine four-stroke combustion engine.” The project will begin in the first quarter of 2021, at the Sustainable Energy Catapult Centre’s testing facilities at Stord, Norway. It is supported by a NOK 20 million (USD 2 million) grant from the Norwegian Research Council.