There is a general agreement within the maritime sector that shipping must undergo a rapid energy transition. The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has committed to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by at least 50% by 2050, while Norway has the goal of being a climate-neutral society by 2050. This requires a shift from fossil fuels to “zero-carbon fuels” that emit low, and ultimately zero, GHG emissions during production, distribution and use.
Like hydrogen (H2), ammonia (NH3) is a potential zero-carbon fuel that is gaining increasing interest in the maritime industry. For example:
- NH3 requires half the storage volume of liquid H2 and ten times less than Lithium batteries,
- NH3 does not need to be stored at a high pressure or in cryogenic temperatures, and
- Transporting NH3 in gas carriers is already a mature technology – providing a starting point for the marine industry.
MaritmeNH3 focuses on developing improved models for safety assessments, methodologies for techno-economic analysis and GHG assessments of the whole NH3 value chain, and technological advancements for end-use in NH3-fuelled engines and fuel cells. It will address barriers related to the use of NH3 as a maritime fuel including production, cost, safety, regulations, end-use technology and understanding of the value chain.
MaritimeNH3 is the competence development part of the Green Platform project “Ammonia Fuel Bunkering Network for the Marine Sector”. This industry-led project aims to realise an NH3 bunkering network by developing, constructing and testing a scalable NH3 bunkering hub, while simultaneously establishing the NH3 supply chain and regulatory framework at the same time.
MaritimeNH3 is a Knowledge-building Project for Industry, financed by the Research Council of Norway.