French organisation Gaztransport & Technigaz (GTT) will design the fuel tanks for five LNG-fueled container vessels (15,000 CTU each) based on its Mark III, ammonia-ready membrane containment system. Vessel deliveries are scheduled for late 2023 to early 2024.
In early June, Itochu was part of a group of 23 founding signatories that kicked off a joint study into the feasibility of ammonia as a maritime fuel. This week that group has grown to 34. It now includes significant stakeholders from a diverse range of sectors: energy, mining, steel, power utility, chemicals manufacturing & distribution, shipbuilding, maritime terminals, maritime classification societies and of course maritime fuel production, supply & distribution.
Nutrien and Exmar will cooperate to deploy an ammonia-powered vessel on the water by 2025, with the fuel to be sourced from Nutrien's low-carbon ammonia production facility in Geismar, Louisiana. Together, the two organisations will select an ammonia-powered engine, a supply system manufacturer and a shipyard capable of constructing the vessel.
Canadian organisation AmmPower signed a new MoU this week with Porto Central - a consortium currently developing an industrial, deep water port complex in Brazil. Under the agreement, AmmPower will develop a port-adjacent green ammonia production facility, as well as associated transport and distribution infrastructure.
Led by RINA with 21 project partners, the ENGIMMONIA project aims to transfer demonstrated, terrestrial clean energy solutions to the maritime sector. As of May, ENGIMONNIA is now fully-funded (€9.5 million) by the EU's Horizon 2020 program. The end result will see the MAN ES ammonia engine installed and demonstrated in three vessels: an oil tanker, a container ship, and a ferry.
ECONNECT Energy and Amon Maritime launched a new joint venture this week – Azane Fuel Solutions. According to the official press release, the new organisation aims to fill a current gap in the ammonia fuel value chain by developing new floating and shore-based ammonia ship bunkering infrastructure technology.
This week Wärtsilä announced: i) some key updates in its ammonia and hydrogen-powered engine testing research to date and ii) some key upcoming milestones for its R&D program.
Details of the Commission's comprehensive climate legislation package are now public. Relevant highlights include the inclusion of shipping into the EU ETS, a new tier system for fuel taxation and a carbon border adjustment mechanism. Also this week, Hydrogen Europe calls for an overhaul of the existing Guarantee of Origin (GO) system to address current shortcomings in clean hydrogen certification.
The Canadian subsidiary of Hy2Gen is looking to develop a green ammonia project in Quebec, dubbed "Courant," catering to the maritime mobility sector. The 500 tonne per day, 200 MW hydro-powered facility will be very similar to the proposed Hy2SAUDA project in Norway, Hy2Gen Canada President Cyril Dufau-Sansot said this week in an interview.
As we reported earlier this March, Namibian President Hage Geingob announced his government is looking to develop and implement national green hydrogen and green ammonia strategies as part of an economy-wide "prosperity" initiative. In an interview with CNBCAfrica this week, Presidential Advisor on Economy James Mnyupe added some more updates.