Approval of interim guidelines for the use of maritime ammonia fuel is anticipated at an upcoming IMO committee meeting in December, giving the shipping industry its first international standard for the safe operation of vessels using marine ammonia fuel.
The FuelEU Maritime Regulation is set to launch on August 31, requiring companies to submit monitoring plans ahead of its full implementation in January 2025. With modest initial targets and sophisticated compliance mechanisms like banking, borrowing, and pooling, the scheme offers flexibility while driving innovation in sustainable maritime technologies. The scheme also offers extra incentives for companies to proactively embrace Renewable Fuels of Non-Biological Origin (RFNBOs), before mandates enter into force next decade.
Fertiglobe has won the first H2Global pilot auction for renewable ammonia, promising to deliver 397,000 tons of renewable ammonia between 2027 and 2033. H2Global’s announcement comes at the end of a two year auction process. Following the H2Global announcement, Fertiglobe committed to a twenty-year offtake deal for renewable hydrogen feedstock from the Egypt Green Hydrogen project, demonstrating the investor certainty fostered by the auction.
CertifHy has awarded RFNBO pre-certification to Greenko subsidiary AM Green for its under-development hydrogen and ammonia production facility in southern India. By 2030, Greenko aims for a capacity of one million tons per year of electrolytic hydrogen, feeding the production of 5 million tons per year of ammonia.
The Green Hydrogen Organisation (GH2) and Trovio have announced a strategic partnership to develop a digital global registry for certification of hydrogen and its derivatives. The partnership will leverage CorTenX, Trovio’s blockchain-powered environmental asset registry. Trovio and GH2 believe this technology will promote transparency, traceability, and compliance in the certification space.
In our April episode of Project Features, 8 Rivers joined us to discuss its 8RH2 technology for gas-based hydrogen production with carbon capture rates beyond 99%. As well as the technology itself, we explore the Allam-Fetvedt cycle, the deployment of 8RH2 to produce ammonia in Texas, and 8 Rivers’ future plans.
Nel will supply over 1 GW of alkaline electrolysers for Hy Stor Energy’s hydrogen production and storage hub project in Mississippi, USA. In other electrolyser news, Cepsa and Allied Green Ammonia have picked technology providers for their under-development projects in Spain and Australia.
The European Hydrogen Bank has awarded nearly €720 million to seven renewable hydrogen and ammonia projects. The funding will act to bridge the price gap between the cost of hydrogen production and the price buyers are willing to pay. Recipients will receive €0.37 - €0.48 in subsidies per kilogram of renewable hydrogen, and will collectively produce 1.58 million tons of renewable hydrogen over ten years. In conducting a transparent auction process, the European Commission has also provided vital insights into trends in demand for renewable hydrogen and ammonia.
Kenya aims to substitute 50% of current, ammonia-based fertilizer imports with locally-produced alternatives, based on the production of electrolytic hydrogen. New guidelines from Kenya’s Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority set carbon intensity thresholds for “green” hydrogen and ammonia, as well as the incentives on offer for project developers. The new launch follows commitments to promote local fertilizer production made by heads of state at the Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Summit. We also explore two existing renewable projects in Kenya from Maire Tecnimont and Talus Renewables.
The IMO’s Maritime Environmental Protection Committee has made significant strides towards implementing its net-zero agenda. The IMO is seeking to implement a fuel standard supported by a pricing mechanism. While many details remain unresolved, important steps forward have been made on emissions boundaries, flexibility elements and default value calculation. The goal of launching policy measures by the end of 2025 remains ambitious, but the IMO has sent a clear signal that it is committed to its net-zero roadmap.