US ammonia power start-up Amogy has clinched another big cooperation deal as it looks to move into shipping.
The New York company is teaming up with Japanese shipowning giant Mitsui OSK Lines to develop its ammonia-to-power systems for vessels.
The partners will also work on setting up an ammonia supply chain.
MOL investment company MOL Plus has pumped an unspecified amount of money into Amogy as part of the deal.
“MOL will consider collaboration with the company on using an ammonia-to-power system on MOL Group-operated vessels and initiatives to establish an ammonia value chain, including the supply of ammonia fuel to ships equipped with the ammonia-to-power system,” the shipowner said.
The company expects Amogy to make significant contributions to the decarbonisation of the sector.
The system can generate hydrogen from liquid ammonia to produce electricity.
This does not emit CO2.
Amogy, led by chief executive Seonghoon Woo, has brought in experienced shipping executive Christian Berg as part of its push into the maritime sector.
Berg, who was formerly Norwegian producer Yara Clean Ammonia’s director of bunkering market development for Scandinavia, will head Amogy’s regional operations from Stavanger in Norway.
Trafigura on board
In September, Amogy struck a deal with trading and chartering giant Trafigura to investigate the potential for large-scale cracking of ammonia.
The aim is to boost the supply of clean hydrogen as a fuel, and Amogy’s technique will be assessed for the potential transport of the gas around the world.
That was the start-up’s second shipping-related deal in three weeks after it joined forces with Norwegian ammonia shipping company Amon Maritime to work on creating competitive full-scale green transport solutions.
Amogy was founded in 2020 by four Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni. Investors already include Amazon, SK Innovation and Saudi Aramco.
The company has also struck a deal to install an ammonia power system on a tank barge by the end of 2023.
Amogy is working with tug and barge owner Southern Devall to install its technology on a vessel as part of a demonstration of its operational benefits and scalability.
