SINTEF conducts research on ammonia across the entire value chain, from production to use on board ships, and can assist both private industry and the public sector with technology development and market analyses.
Ammonia is considered a promising zero-emission fuel that can complement hydrogen and batteries, particularly for ships covering long distances or with limited fuel storage capacity. This is because ammonia can be stored in liquid form at moderate pressure and temperature while taking up only half the volume of liquid hydrogen.
For ammonia to truly be considered a zero-emission fuel, it must be produced either using renewable electricity ("green ammonia") or with the use of carbon capture and storage ("blue ammonia").
At SINTEF, we work on developing new solutions for the production and use of ammonia as a fuel, and we research the environmental impact of ammonia emissions to the atmosphere and marine environments. Testing of fuel cells, membranes, and various components in NH3-containing atmospheres is carried out in a dedicated NH3 test lab in Oslo. Catalysts for synthesis and thermochemical decomposition (cracking) of ammonia are studied in the gas conversion laboratories in Trondheim.
