Planning an ammonia chain

GREEN AND BLUE

PROPULSION • NEXT GENERATION BUNKER FUELS WILL LIKELY BE MORE VARIED THAN THOSE OF TODAY. WORK IS PRESSING AHEAD TO DEVELOP A VIABLE AMMONIA CHAIN

WÄRTSILÄ CORPORATION AND Grieg Edge, the innovation hub of Bergen-based shipping group Grieg Star, have launched a joint project to develop and build an ammoniafuelled tanker by 2024; the design aims to eliminate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions completely and has attracted support of some €4.4m from the Norwegian government’s Pilot-E scheme to help see the project to fruition.

The MS Green Ammonia project is a result of a collaboration group in the Nordic region, which emerged from the Zero Emissions Energy Distribution at Sea (Zeeds) initiative.

“We regard the funding from Pilot-E as a valuable stamp of approval for our plans. Both Wärtsilä and we feel confident that this project represents the future for the maritime sector. To have the support from the Norwegian Research Council and Innovation Norway is a significant step towards completion,” says Nicolai Grieg, head of Grieg Edge and formerly head of Grieg Star prior to the formation of Grieg Edge this past November.

Norway’s Minister of Trade and Industry, Iselin Nybø, adds: “This year’s grants show that the Norwegian maritime industry is really at the forefront of developing emission-free solutions with great export potential. This is another great example of how we create new green industry and growth in Norway.”

THE BREEDING GROUND The partners envisage a plant being built at Berlevåg in northern Norway, producing carbon-neutral ammonia using renewable energy. The output will be distributed to end users along the coast; the eventual design of the ship itself will depend on the level of demand, though the partners say that letters of intent have already been signed with several “heavyweight industrial partners”.

“We see a strong interest from owners of ferries, offshore supply ships, fishing vessels and from energy-producing companies. In total, they require an amount of energy surpassing what we can achieve in this project. The market is there without a doubt,” says Vidar Lundberg, chief business development officer at Grieg Star Group. “Norway, with its high number of vessels using LNG or alternative fuels, with high volumes of green energy, and the cheapest electrical power in Europe, is probably the perfect arena for the world’s first market for green ammonia.”

Indeed, the existing LNG-fuelled coastal fleet in Norway offers an ideal breeding ground for the take-up of ammonia as a marine fuel, either by mixing it with LNG or by retrofitting engines to run on ammonia alone.

“We are in the midst of a transition to low carbon shipping, and the long traditions we have in Norway for cross-industry cooperation is vital for the successful implementation of a new green value chain,” says Cato Esperø, head of sales at Wärtsilä Norway. “Through fruitful collaboration with customers, Wärtsilä has been at the forefront of developing marine applications for LNG, hybrid systems and fuel cells. We are excited to be contributing to this important demonstration project for green ammonia together with a forward-leaning shipowner such as Grieg Edge, and the other collaborating partners.” www.wartsila.com www.griegedge.com

THE PROJECT ENVISAGES AN AMMONIA-FUELLED

TANKER DISTRIBUTING GREEN AMMONIA TO