Brooklyn company Amogy, which has already deployed the world’s first ammonia-fueled tractor and the world’s first ammonia-fueled semi-truck, has acquired a 1957 tug and plans to launch the world’s first ammonia-fueled vessel this year.
The tug already has an electric drive system. It was originally equipped with a diesel generator and an electric motor. Amogy instead plans to retrofit him with a 1 MW ammonia generator, which is three times the size of his cicada.
At this point the technology remains the same. Amogy appears to have future plans to use ammonia as a combustion fuel in the marine sector, but the project will use a cracking reactor to split the ammonia into hydrogen and nitrogen, and then pass the hydrogen through a fuel cell. to generate electricity to power electric motors.
Green ammonia, produced using green hydrogen, can be used in sectors that would otherwise appear difficult or impossible to decarbonize (shipping where large amounts of energy are required, batteries too heavy and bulky, gaseous or It is a promising clean fuel for cryogenics). Liquid hydrogen is difficult to handle. Ammonia is a relatively high-density method of transporting clean energy, carrying half the energy of the same amount of diesel, but just as good as no CO2 emissions.
If Amozy wants to win the world’s first honor, skating is the way to go. Her Fortescue Future Industries in Australia said in 2021 she will purchase a 246-foot (75 m) liquid carrier and run it on ammonia within the last year. This has yet to materialize, but Norwegian companies Eidesvik and Fraunhofer are also working on another ammonia vessel called Viking Energy, which is due to launch this year.
These are important projects. Ammonia is one of the world’s most common industrial and agricultural chemicals, but has yet to prove itself as a practical bulk fuel for transportation. It is highly corrosive and can pose a serious hazard in large spills. These pioneering transformations are going to test and prove it as an entire fuel ecosystem.
Source: Amozy
