The Norway-based technology developer has announced successful testing of a 6 kW, ammonia-fed solid oxide fuel cell unit. The test unit is seen as the “first building block” of a larger 100 kW module to be stacked & used for marine propulsion.

In maritime ammonia updates this week:

• Alma Clean Power’s containerised SOFC system design has been granted AiP by DNV. A 2 MW, ammonia-fed system will be used to retrofit the Viking Energy vessel as part of the ShipFC project.
• Grimaldi Group has increased its order for ammonia-ready car carriers to fifteen. China Merchants Heavy Industries will construct the 9,000 car equivalent units design at Jiangsu shipyards, delivering the first vessels in 2025.
• Mabanaft and Hapag-Lloyd will explore the supply of ammonia bunker fuel to Hapag’s vessels at the Port of Hamburg (Germany), and the Port of Houston (USA).
• and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action will fund the construction of three, future-proof LNG bunker vessels, which are designed to be upgraded to handle ammonia fuel.

Four ammonia-powered ships were announced this week, with a mixture of retrofits and newbuilds. Fortescue Future Industries will convert the MMA Leveque to run on near 100% ammonia fuel within 12 months. Grieg Maritime and Wartsila's MS Green Ammonia vessel has a designer, with LMG Marin engaged to complete a concept by mid next year. And Eidesvik, Aker BP and Alma (formerly Prototech AS) have joined forces to deploy the ammonia-fed fuel cell technology being developed for the Viking Energy project.

Welcome to the Ammonia Wrap: a summary of all the latest announcements, news items and publications about ammonia energy. This week: commercialised ammonia gas turbines, TDK and GenCell join forces, another GW of green ammonia production, small-scale green ammonia in rural Japan, hydroelectric ammonia in Laos, Viking Energy vessel updates, new partnerships for Haldor Topsoe and "any-fuel" high-temp PEM fuel cells.

This morning, it was announced that the "Viking Energy," a supply vessel for Equinor's offshore operations, will be modified to run on a 2 MW direct ammonia fuel cell. This will be a five year project: the technology will be scaled-up on land before being installed on the vessel, which will begin a year of GHG emission-free operations in 2024. The Norwegian partners leading this "world's first" project include shipowner Eidesvik, contractor Equinor, and ammonia producer Yara, as well as Wärtsilä (Wärtsilä Norway), responsible for power technology and ammonia storage and distribution systems, and Prototech, delivering the fuel cell system.