Thailand’s state-owned oil & gas organisation PTT and Singapore-based AET Tankers have agreed to jointly develop two dual-fuel Aframax vessels, with the intention of powering them with ammonia fuel. AET will select a shipyard for construction, with the two vessels to be delivered to PTT for long-term charters by early 2026.
Deutsche Bahn and Fortescue Future Industries will collaborate to modify existing locomotive diesel engines to run on hydrogen & ammonia fuel. The pair will utilise Ammonigy’s ammonia cracking technology in their design, with a prototype, bench-top engine currently undergoing testing in Germany. This week FFI also signed an agreement to develop a new energy import terminal in Wilhelmshaven.
SBM Offshore and Imodco’s Ammonia CALM Terminal design has been granted Approval in Principle by DNV. The Catenary Anchor Leg Mooring (CALM) system was first deployed in 1959, and is an offshore buoy that keeps a vessel safely moored while transferring liquid cargo. The technology could enable the import & export of ammonia into remote locations, or where port infrastructure is not possible.
Canada and the UAE will collaborate as part of the new Clean Energy Marine Hubs (CEMH) initiative: a private-public platform launched by the Clean Energy Ministerial to accelerate deployment of alternative maritime fuels. This comes as the UAE government announced it is developing a new national hydrogen strategy with GHD Group and German research institute Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft.
EverWind Fuels and Svitzer have signed an MoU to deploy an ammonia-powered commercial tug in the Canso Strait, adjacent to Point Tupper: the location of EverWind’s under-development hydrogen & ammonia production hub.
The Biden administration has launched a $7 billion funding program to create regional clean hydrogen hubs across the US. Between six and ten applications will be selected, drawing on a diverse range of geographical locations, technology pathways and end-use applications. Alongside the funding announcement, the Department of Energy launched a draft of a new national hydrogen roadmap, outlining the key opportunities on offer for the emerging US clean hydrogen industry.
Green NortH2 Energy, Meriaura and Wärtsilä will develop a cargo vessel capable of running on ammonia fuel. Propelled by Wärtsilä multi-fuel engines, the vessel will be owned and operated by Meriaura, with Green NortH2 Energy to supply renewable ammonia fuel from its to-be-built production plant in Naantali, southwest Finland.
Realisation of electrochemical nitrogen reduction to ammonia has proven to be a herculean scientific challenge. Recently, a focus on Lithium-mediated synthesis has delivered promising results. Last year a team from Monash University in Australia unveiled their phosphonium “proton shuttle” method, and this year have reported nearly 100% Faradaic efficiency for the reaction (with promising reaction rates). Late last year, a team from the Technical University of Demark (DTU) reported that addition of small amounts of oxygen gas drastically increased Faradaic efficiencies and production rates. The results push electrochemical synthesis R&D ever-closer to elusive benchmarks set for commercial realisation.
Mission Possible Partnership has launched a new transition strategy for the global ammonia sector. Endorsed by a series of key ammonia energy players from across the supply chain, Making net-zero ammonia possible sets out a series of levers, mechanisms and priorities for the coming decade to ensure the ammonia sector achieves a 50% emissions reduction target by the mid 2030s, before almost fully decarbonising by 2050.
The European Parliament has recently voted on key changes to the Renewable Energy Directive II. The changes include new renewable fuel targets for industry, scrapping the “additionality” clause, and easing temporal & geographical restrictions on electricity PPAs for hydrogen production. A new, €3 billion Hydrogen Bank has also been announced in a bid to close the investment gap in Europe.