When it comes to ammonia energy & Australia, the persistent theme for a few years now has been exports, exports, exports. But, does a domestic hydrogen & ammonia industry present the opportunity for Australia to move on from a “dig and ship mentality”? Can Australia develop an equivalent of the METS industry, providing the expertise, technology and services required to get more projects up-and-running overseas?
To explore these big questions, we welcome a terrific discussion panel: Cindy Lim (Keppel Infrastructure), Olivia Brace (Advisian), and Tim Rogers (Trafigura Group), and chair Penelope Howarth (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade). And - in the session before we launch into discussion - we will hear updates from some of our key ammonia energy allies in APAC. Shigeru Muraki (CFAA, Japan), Hyung Chul Yoon (KIER, Korea) and Kashish Shah (IEEFA, India) will dial-in virtually to present the latest from their home countries. Join us in-person or online, and purchase your tickets by this Friday 5 August to secure the extended early-bird rate.
The consortium developing the Skovgaard ammonia project has ordered an alkaline electrolyser system from Nel, bringing the 10 MW plant a step closer to reality. Skovgaard will be an important test case for hydrogen production directly from renewable energy, with no battery storage or firming to be used.
In other electrolyser news, German-based Sunfire and US-based Electric Hydrogen have received new funding to develop their technologies. Also in Germany, Siemens and Air Liquide will join forces to develop a GW-sized factory in Berlin, with 3 GW of PEM electrolyser units to be manufactured annually by 2025.
Two recent reports (one from Bureau Veritas & Total, the other from the Together in Safety consortium) illustrate just how seriously the maritime industry is pursuing low carbon ammonia fuel. While progress in the maritime ammonia space is impressive, safety risks are widely-acknowledged and work remains to be done.
Both reports identify key hazards facing adoption of ammonia as a maritime fuel, and echo points heard before in the development of methanol & LNG as maritime fuels: high-risk hazards currently exist that must be eliminated, mitigated or controlled. But Together in Safety concludes the way forward will be via collaboration & shared responsibility - something we’re already seeing in the multiple high-profile safety studies and consortia working around the globe. Thankfully, the willingness of significant maritime players to engage on ammonia and the momentum for change are both high.
