A mystery Norwegian shipowner looks set to provide the first seagoing vessel installation for a new ammonia-to-power hybrid fuel cell system.
US ammonia power start-up Amogy said the unnamed shipowner entered into a pre-order contract for the supply of four of Amogy’s 200 kW ammonia-to-power systems.
The newbuild vessel will be outfitted with a total of 800 kW of Amogy powerpacks, which will provide the primary power for the vessel and zero-emission operations.
The Brooklyn-based start-up did not disclose the identity of the owner, the type of ship involved or when it is due to be delivered. Financial terms were also not disclosed.
Amogy Norway managing director Christian W. Berg described the development as a “major milestone” on the technology’s road to commercialisation.
“We are very proud that this prominent shipowner believes in our technology and sees it as the most viable solution for decarbonising their newbuild vessel,” he said.
Amogy has previously stated that it views Norway as having the infrastructure to make ammonia a viable fuel source for cargo ships, as well as plenty of partnership opportunities.
In October 2022 it recruited Berg, Yara Clean Ammonia’s (YCA) former director of bunkering market development for Scandinavia, to head up its Norwegian operation.
Amogy chief executive Seonghoon Woo said at the time that Norway and its forward-thinking maritime industry recognised the immense opportunity that ammonia presents as a green fuel.
Amogy’s ammonia-to-power technology feeds liquid ammonia through its cracking modules integrated into a hybrid fuel cell system, which powers the electric motors.
Prior to commercialisation, Amogy said it plans to present the first zero-emission, ammonia-powered vessel in late 2023.
The company is already working with US tug and barge owner Southern Devall to install its technology on a vessel as part of a demonstration of its operational benefits and scalability.
In April 2023, Amogy announced that it was teaming up with Singapore shipowner Marco Polo Marine to install its ammonia-to-power system on Marco Polo Marine’s existing or newly built wind vessels, allowing them to operate with zero emissions.
The partnership will also allow Amogy to fine-tune its ammonia-to-power solution in order to more effectively support the specific types of wind vessels.
Amogy was founded in 2020 by four Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni.
The company recently announced the conclusion of its $150M total Series B fundraising which attracted some major names from the shipping industry.
These included prominent Singapore ship manager Synergy Marine as well as Mitsui OSK Line (MOL) investment company MOL Plus and Singapore state investor Temasek.
