Amogy’s ammonia-to-power system to propel Marco Polo Marine’s offshore wind service fleet
By on April 27, 2023
Amogy and Singapore-based Marco Polo Marine Ltd have signed an MoU which will see Amogy’s ammonia-to-power system installed on Marco Polo’s new & existing vessels. Amogy’s technology will be fine-tuned to support specific types of offshore wind service vessels such as Commissioning Service Operation Vessels (CSOVs) and Service Operation Vessels (SOVs).
CSOVs, which can stay out at sea for 30 days, are used for turbine installation, construction and commissioning. SOVs (on the other hand) are used for shorter maintenance trips. Adopting ammonia power for both vessel types has the potential to reduce the carbon footprint of offshore wind energy projects, as well as decarbonizing Marco Polo’s vessel fleet.
We’re delighted to work with a respected and innovative maritime operator that shares our bold vision for a greener and more sustainable future. The APAC region’s commitment to clean fuels makes it important that we have an impact here and we hope that our partnership with Marco Polo can serve as a powerful example for other maritime operators.
Seonghoon Woo, CEO of Amogy in his organisation’s official press release, 18 April 2023
We welcome the opportunity to collaborate with Amogy and combine our environmentally friendly and innovative technologies. We think that Amogy’s ability to convert ammonia to gaseous hydrogen in our wind vessels is a step in the right direction that brings us closer to our long-term goal of decarbonizing the maritime industry by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Sean Lee, CEO of Marco Polo Marine in Amogy’s official press release, 18 April 2023
With plans to benefit from the burgeoning offshore wind energy industry in the APAC region, Marco Polo Marine acquired PKR Offshore, a Taiwan-based vessel operator, last year. The group also commenced the development of a new state-of-the-art CSOV at their Batam shipyard in September last year.
The group is currently supporting the development of multiple offshore wind farm projects in the region. According to the US DoE, installed offshore wind energy will grow five-fold by 2030, with Asia soon overtaking Europe as the largest regional market.
Successful $139m Series B-1 Funding to boost commercialisation efforts
In more Amogy news, the organisation announced a successful $139 million Series B funding round in March this year. The fundraise was led by SK Innovation, supported by Temasek, Korea Zinc, Aramco Ventures, AP Ventures, MOL PLUS, Yanmar Ventures, Zeon Ventures and DCVC. This funding will support development towards commercialisation and manufacturing of the company’s ammonia-to-power technology, with the aim to bring their first product to market in 2024.
Amogy’s technology represents a key breakthrough in the usage of ammonia as a fuel, and we believe that it will revolutionize not only the maritime industry, but the entire transportation industry. We want to make sure Amogy has the resources it needs to make zero-emission shipping a reality.
Jun Kim, Vice Chairman & CEO from SK Innovation in Amogy’s official press release, 22 March 2023
Amogy’s technology uses ammonia cracking modules integrated into a hybrid fuel cell system to power electric motors for the mobility sector. The technology has been successfully tested in a drone, tractor and semi-truck.
Test ride in sight for MW-scale ammonia powered tug
Amogy is currently retrofitting a 105-ft diesel-powered tugboat originally built in 1957 with a 1 MW version of its ammonia-to-power system at Feeney Shipyards in New York state. If successful, the tugboat demonstration will help Amogy sail towards its first commercial offering by as early as 2024. Once installed, the ammonia-based power system will feed liquid ammonia through its cracking modules integrated into a hybrid fuel cell system to the vessel’s electric motors, providing 8 – 10 hours of continuous power.
As we reported in March, the tugboat project has multiple partners. Yara Clean Ammonia will provide renewable ammonia for the demonstration. Other project partners include Feeney Shipyard, C-Job Naval Architects, Seam, Unique Technical Solutions, the US Coast Guard and DNV. Classification society Lloyd’s Register has also granted Approval in Principle to Amogy’s solution.