World’s First Ammonia-powered, Zero-emission Ship Will Be Built in Late 2023

Amogy, a Brooklyn-based company, revealed plans to unveil a zero-emission tugboat powered by ammonia by the end of 2023 during this year's CERAWeek.

This will be a significant achievement towards zero-emissions shipping as ammonia is predicted to become the leading fuel source for the world's large cargo ships by 2050.

World's First Ammonia-powered Ship

Amogy is retrofitting a tugboat, built in 1957, which currently uses diesel generators and electric motors with a 1-megawatt ammonia-to-power system, three times larger than what has been tested on its ammonia-fueled semi-truck.

The technology utilizes highly-efficient cracking modules in a hybrid fuel cell system that powers the electric motors for zero-carbon shipping.

"This is the first milestone of many you will see from Amogy in accelerating the accessibility and scalability of clean energy in the global maritime industry," Seonghoon Woo, CEO of Amogy, said in a press release statement.

"With successful demonstrations of our ammonia-powered drone, tractor, and semi-truck under our belts, we look forward to presenting the first ammonia-powered ship in 2023, with a target to fully commercialize in 2024."

Yara Clean Ammonia (YCA) has partnered with Seam, C-Job Naval Architects, Feeney Shipyard, and Unique Technical Solutions (UTS) to bring the world's first ammonia-powered ship to life.

YCA, known as the largest trader and shipper of ammonia worldwide and one of the largest producers of ammonia, will provide green ammonia for the demonstration. Green ammonia is produced using renewable energy and emits zero greenhouse gas emissions from "well to wake."

It is an ideal next-generation fuel as it does not emit CO2 when used as a fuel, making it a perfect fit for the hydrogen economy.

Amogy's Partners

Amogy has enlisted Seam as the electrical systems integrator, C-Job Naval Architects as the independent ship design company integrating the ammonia system, and Feeney Shipyard, who will retrofit the tugboat and remove the engine under the supervision of C-Job Naval Architects.

The company will work with UTS, its electrical and systems integrator from previous demonstrations, to scale up the power pack for pre-commercial use. Together, the partners aim to showcase the potential of green ammonia as a sustainable fuel source for the shipping industry.

Amogy has developed a technology that converts ammonia to electric power safely and efficiently. The company has partnered with DNV, a leading classification society, to ensure compliance with maritime safety standards.

DNV's Senior Consultant in Maritime Environmental Technology, Hans-Christian Wintervoll, says DNV has been working with Amogy since December 2021 and is pleased to contribute to their continued success.

Amogy has raised $70M from investors, including Amazon, Saudi Aramco, and SK Innovation, and plans to test its technology on a tugboat in upstate New York in 2023, pending safety testing and regulatory discussions.