Amogy sails first carbon-free ammonia-powered maritime vessel

Carbon-free energy solutions provider Amogy announced that the world’s first carbon-free, ammonia-powered maritime vessel successfully completed its maiden voyage. The NH3 Kraken, a tugboat originally constructed in 1957 and retrofitted with Amogy’s ammonia-to-electrical power system, sailed on a tributary of the Hudson River, upstream from New York City.

The company called the demonstration a significant step toward reducing global carbon emissions and moving the maritime industry closer to the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) target of net-zero emissions by 2050.

“Governments across the globe and industry organizations like the IMO have set aggressive goals to reduce global carbon emissions,” said Seonghoon Woo, CEO and co-founder of Amogy. “These goals seem daunting, but they’re necessary, and our successful demonstration of the world’s first carbon-free, ammonia-powered vessel proves that they’re achievable.”

Amogy said it will apply insights from the demonstration to real-world applications of its technology, including both retrofit projects and newbuilds. The company is already working on contracts signed and in progress with organizations such as Hanwha Ocean, Terox and others, it added.

Amogy’s patented ammonia-to-electrical power system splits, or “cracks,” liquid ammonia into its base elements of hydrogen and nitrogen. The hydrogen is then funneled into a fuel cell, which generates power with zero carbon emissions. Amogy said this technology offers a sustainable, clean energy solution that is tailored for hard-to-abate sectors like maritime shipping.

“Ammonia is the world’s second most produced chemical, with around 20 million tons moving around the globe through 200 ports each year,” Woo said. “With that track record, shifting the industry mindset to use it as a fuel is completely achievable, and can happen at an accelerated pace.”

The demonstration of the NH3 Kraken is the largest and most significant application of Amogy’s technology to date, the company said. It joins successful demonstrations by Amogy of an aerial drone, commercial farm tractor and semi-truck.

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