- Wartsila expects to have developed a ship engine that runs solely on ammonia.
- Currently, Wartsila builds engines that can run on natural gas, biogas, synthetic methane, and up to a 25pc blend of hydrogen.
Marine technology firm Wartsila expects to have developed a ship engine that runs solely on ammonia by 2023, Argus Media.
Ammonia-ready Engine Development Plans
The Finland-based firm is testing engines using hydrogen-based fuels including ammonia. One engine running purely on hydrogen and another running on a 70pc ammonia blend did well in tests at the required load needed to propel a ship, Wartsila said. It expects to have the engine running on an ammonia blend ready by the end of this year and on running purely on ammonia in 2023.
Zero Carbon Fuel Production
Currently, Wartsila builds engines that can run on natural gas, biogas, synthetic methane, and up to a 25pc blend of hydrogen. It said all these will be able to transition to hydrogen-based fuels.
Green hydrogen and green ammonia are regarded as promising candidates for zero-carbon marine fuel in the future. The former is produced from the electrolysis of water using renewable electricity, and the latter by combining nitrogen from the air with green hydrogen.
Hydrogen VS Ammonia
Ammonia could be preferred over hydrogen for shipping because it has a higher energy density and is easier to handle onboard a vessel. It is highly toxic to people and the environment, but Wartsila said that this can be overcome using its prior knowledge of designing cargo-handling systems for LPG carriers, many of which also transport ammonia.
Hydrogen-based fuels for the marine sector have been backed by the IEA and the World Bank as viable carbon-neutral fuel for decarbonising shipping, but financing is an obstacle.
Company’s Ammonia Projects
Wartsila is involved in other green ammonia projects. It will be testing ammonia in a four-stroke marine combustion engine, and it is part of a group of companies looking to create a green ammonia bunkering hub in the Baltic Sea.
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Source : Argus Media
