World’s first ammonia-powered ship bogged down in technical quagmire

The launch of the world’s first ammonia-fueled vessel will be delayed by at least two years, sources say, citing the power plant manufacturer. Unraveling the technical hurdles quickly has proven too difficult for everything to go according to plan.

Image source: Eidesvik

Back in 2021, Norwegian energy giant Equinor, Finnish marine propulsion developer Wärtsilä and shipping company Eidesvik Offshore joined forces to convert the bulk carrier Viking Energy to run on ammonia fuel. The launch of the modernized vessel was expected in 2024. However, it recently became known that implementing the plan turned out to be much more difficult than expected at the beginning of the journey. According to updated plans, the ammonia-fueled vessel should set off on its maiden voyage in 2026.

«”We are not just solving one small problem for one vessel. This is part of the bigger picture. This will be the starting point for creating a market for carbon-free fuels,” said Henriette Undrum, Equinor’s vice president for renewables and low carbon.

The global shipping industry is a significant contributor to annual greenhouse gas emissions. About 20 years ago, the industry began switching from burning petroleum products to natural gas. The next step towards environmentally friendly shipping could be a transition to ammonia. However, this process will not be quick, experts warn. Historically, the transition from sailing fleets to coal, then to oil and gas took about 20 years at each stage. The mass introduction of ammonia fuel will also take at least two decades, so experts advise patience.

The delays are largely due to the complexity of the infrastructure needed to safely handle ammonia. “Ammonia is toxic, explosive, and corrosive. We have to use special pipelines, storage tanks, and fuel trucks that are built with materials that are resistant to leaks and the corrosion caused by ammonia,” said John Prousalidis, a professor of marine engineering at the National Technical University of Athens.

Ammonia can be used as a fuel directly or as part of fuel cells that generate electricity. In the second case, handling ammonia is much simpler from an environmental point of view – it is isolated from the environment and does not pose a danger. However, when burning ammonia, the situation is fundamentally different.

Tuning the ammonia power plant. Image source: Christoffer Björklund/Wärtsilä

During combustion, nitrogen oxides are formed, and emissions of unburned fuel – pure ammonia – are also possible. In both cases, extremely toxic substances enter the atmosphere. Therefore, power plants operating on ammonia must be equipped with afterburning and emission capture systems, which significantly complicates their development and operation.

«“Instead of CO₂, which contributes to global warming, we could end up with nitrogen oxides, which are deadly to breathe,” says Prousalidis. “To avoid simply replacing one pollutant with another, ammonia power plants must incorporate emissions control technologies that prevent harmful nitrogen oxides from entering the atmosphere.”

Another obstacle to the transition to ammonia power plants is the unwillingness of port operators to create the appropriate infrastructure. Without infrastructure, ship owners are not ready to invest huge amounts of money in building ships on ammonia fuel. This is a classic “chicken or egg” dilemma, which is still difficult to solve. That is why the launch of even a single first ammonia-powered ship could become the snowball that will trigger an avalanche of changes in the industry. But we will have to wait at least another two years for this to happen.