There is a general agreement within the maritime sector that shipping must undergo a rapid energy transition. The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has committed to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by at least 50% by 2050, while Norway has the goal of being a climate-neutral society by 2050. This requires a shift from fossil fuels to “zero-carbon fuels” that emit low, and ultimately zero, GHG emissions during production, distribution and use.
Like hydrogen (H2), ammonia (NH3) is a potential zero-carbon fuel that is gaining increasing interest in the maritime industry. For example:
- NH3 requires half the storage volume of liquid H2 and ten times less than Lithium batteries,
- NH3 does not need to be stored at a high pressure or in cryogenic temperatures, and
- Transporting NH3 in gas carriers is already a mature technology – providing a starting point for the marine industry.
MaritmeNH3 focuses on developing improved models for safety assessments, methodologies for techno-economic analysis and GHG assessments of the whole NH3 value chain, and technological advancements for end-use in NH3-fuelled engines and fuel cells. It will address barriers related to the use of NH3 as a maritime fuel including production, cost, safety, regulations, end-use technology and understanding of the value chain.
Podcast Green Shipping (in Norwegian)
MaritimeNH3 is the competence development part of the Green Platform project “Ammonia Fuel Bunkering Network for the Marine Sector”. This industry-led project aims to realise an NH3 bunkering network by developing, constructing and testing a scalable NH3 bunkering hub, while simultaneously establishing the NH3 supply chain and regulatory framework at the same time.
