- Wärtsilä is retrofitting a vessel to run on ammonia, targeting completion by 2026.
- Ammonia as a fuel faces challenges like toxic emissions and the need for strict regulations.
- Global efforts are underway to make ammonia a viable marine fuel with technologies to reduce emissions and enhance safety.
Engine makers are exploring ammonia as a potential marine fuel, but significant challenges need to be addressed before it can be commercially adopted. Concerns like ammonia slip and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions are crucial factors that must be managed for safe and sustainable usage, reports Engine.
Wärtsilä’s Project
Finnish engine maker Wärtsilä is set to retrofit an offshore platform supply vessel, owned by Norwegian shipping company Eidesvik Offshore, to run on ammonia.
The retrofit will include an ammonia dual-fuel engine, a fuel gas supply system, and an exhaust after-treatment system, with completion expected in 2026.
Challenges with Ammonia Fuel
Ammonia is toxic and its combustion produces NOx emissions, which have a global warming potential significantly higher than CO2.
To make ammonia a viable bunker fuel, stringent regulations for its handling and storage are necessary, along with technologies to mitigate ammonia slip and NOx emissions.
Engine manufacturers, including Wärtsilä, MAN Energy Solutions, and Winterthur Gas & Diesel (WinGD), are developing solutions like ammonia release mitigation, selective catalytic reduction (SCR), and nitrogen purging. These technologies aim to minimize harmful emissions and ensure the safe use of ammonia as a fuel.
Safety Measures
Azane Fuel Solutions has developed an ammonia release mitigation system that breaks down ammonia into nitrogen and water. Wärtsilä claims its mitigation system reduces ammonia emissions to less than 30 parts per million (ppm).
WinGD’s engines will include safety features like leak detection systems and double-wall barriers to prevent leaks and minimize emissions.
Singapore has been proactive in testing ammonia as a bunker fuel. The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) conducted a trial on a Fortescue vessel, ensuring that NOx emissions remained within local limits.
The trial also focused on safety measures, such as nitrogen purging and ammonia treatment systems.
Other Developments in Green Fuels
Swedish e-fuel company Liquid Wind plans to build a large e-methanol plant for German energy supplier Uniper, targeting the shipping and chemical sectors.
Additionally, Japanese companies are working on standardizing designs for liquid CO2 carriers and exploring ammonia-powered ships.
The UAE and the International Parcel Tankers Association (IPTA) have proposed a new CII formula. This formula adjusts for fuel losses by estimating the distance a ship could have traveled under ideal conditions, aiming to provide a fairer measure of carbon intensity.
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Source : Engine
