Successful testing has been completed at IHI’s facilities in Ota, Japan. A four-stroke marine engine - fully integrated with exhaust gas aftertreatment and fuel supply systems - produced stable operations running on up to 80% ammonia fuel. Emissions of dinitrogen monoxide (N2O) and ammonia slip were reported as “virtually zero”.
The CAMPFIRE consortium is exploring the feasibility of ammonia-powered cruise liners on the Baltic Sea. Project partners Rostock Port, Yara, DNV and Carnival Maritime discussed progress to date at a recent Maritime Ammonia Insights webinar, including promising logistics, infrastructure & safety findings.
Explore the critical topic of engine room safety, and what design considerations would be needed on a future, ammonia-fueled vessel. What learnings can we apply from running prototype engines? What lessons can be learned from current ammonia-handling industries like refrigeration? And what training will be needed to build confidence in seafarers?
In maritime ammonia updates this week:
A high-profile consortium will conduct a joint study exploring ammonia bunkering at the Port of Savannah in Georgia, USA. The consortium aims to establish a comprehensive supply chain to allow ship-to-ship ammonia bunkering in Savannah, and the study scope includes design of an Ammonia Bunkering Articulated Tug-Barge (AB-ATB) vessel.
We explore the GreenBalticCruising project, investigating the potential of a cruise ship route across the Baltic Sea, powered by ammonia fuel.
The second phase of the NoGAPS project is well underway. Led by the Maersk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping, a detailed plan for the design, operation and business case for the future MS NoGAPS vessel will be developed. Construction and delivery is expected in 2024-25. Also in Scandinavia, Viridis Bulk Carriers has been awarded AiP from Bureau Veritas for its ammonia-fueled, short-sea, bulk carrier design.
Grieg Star and a series of high-profile maritime consortium partners have assessed the full feasibility for retrofitting a Grieg Star L-Class vessel to run on ammonia fuel. The study concludes that technical & regulatory challenges will not be showstoppers in the transition. A combination of high investment costs, uncertainty over ammonia fuel availability & pricing and slow market development remain the biggest barriers, presenting significant risks for first movers.
In our latest episode of Maritime Ammonia Insights, we explored the findings of a new, landmark environmental study: Ammonia at Sea. Speakers representing the report’s co-authors joined us to discuss the results, what further work is required and how the report is being incorporated into policy discussions at the IMO.
Hear more from the authors of the Ammonia at Sea report: an analysis of everything currently known about ammonia’s behaviour in the aquatic environment, plus the potential impacts of the use of ammonia as a marine fuel.