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Infinity Power & Masdar: mega renewable projects in Mauritania, Egypt

Masdar joint venture Infinity Power, Germany-based Conjuncta and the government of Mauritania have agreed to develop an export mega-project. Up to 8 million tonnes per year of renewable fuels of non-biological origin will be produced for export to Germany. In Egypt, Masdar’s two million tonne per year ammonia fuel project on the Suez Canal has been fast-tracked via a “golden license”.

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Retrofitting vessels for ammonia fuel: new technical study from Grieg Star

Grieg Star and a series of high-profile maritime consortium partners have assessed the full feasibility for retrofitting a Grieg Star L-Class vessel to run on ammonia fuel. The study concludes that technical & regulatory challenges will not be showstoppers in the transition. A combination of high investment costs, uncertainty over ammonia fuel availability & pricing and slow market development remain the biggest barriers, presenting significant risks for first movers.

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Mitigating emissions risks from ammonia-powered vessels

Technology solutions to manage emissions from ammonia-powered internal combustion engines will be commercially available on a similar timeline to the engines themselves, a new report from the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center concludes. Although the authors are confident ammonia combustion emissions (including the potent greenhouse molecule N2O) will be successfully minimised, key gaps include a lack of industry-wide emissions thresholds and a poor understanding of the well-to-tank emissions of ammonia fuel, particularly CCS-based ammonia.

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New ammonia-powered vessel designs win AiP

Three new ammonia-powered, bulk carrier designs have recently been awarded Approval in Principle. In China, SDTR Marine & SDARI’s Kamsarmax dual-fuel design received AiP from the China Classification Society. In Japan, another Kamsarmax-sized vessel developed by Sumitomo and Oshima Shipping was approved, and ClassNK has signed off on a Capemax vessel designed by MOL and Mitsui & Co., which includes an ammonia-powered main engine and hard sails to improve energy efficiency.

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Cepsa: renewable ammonia in Spain

Spanish energy & chemicals giant Cepsa has announced two new, significant ammonia partnerships this week. Cepsa will supply renewable ammonia imports to ACE Terminal in Rotterdam from 2027, realizing the vision for a green maritime corridor between the Netherlands and the Mediterranean. And, together with Fertiberia, Cepsa will develop a 1 GW renewable hydrogen plant near the La Rábida energy park. The plant will produce hydrogen feedstock for Fertiberia’s Palos de la Frontera ammonia & fertiliser manufacturing complex, and Cepsa’s own industrial needs in the area.

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Maritime ammonia: fuel cell propulsion systems, car carriers & bunkering in Germany

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.