Amogy , a provider of mature, scalable and efficient ammonia-to-power solutions, today announced that the world’s first carbon-free ammonia-powered marine vessel has successfully completed its maiden voyage. The NH 3 Kraken , a tugboat built in 1957 and equipped with Amogy’s ammonia-to-electricity system, sailed on a tributary of the Hudson River north of New York City.
This demonstration represents a major step forward in reducing global carbon emissions and brings the maritime sector closer to the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. It demonstrates both the viability of Amogy’s technology and the potential of ammonia as a carbon-free maritime fuel.
“Governments around the world, as well as industry organizations like the IMO, have indeed set ambitious targets to reduce global carbon emissions. These goals may seem daunting, but they are essential – and our successful demonstration of the world’s first carbon-free ammonia-powered ship proves that they are achievable,” said Seonghoon Woo, CEO and co-founder of Amogy. “By testing our technology in a maritime environment for the first time, we have gained valuable insights that will allow us to move quickly to commercialization and real-world applications. The opportunity to decarbonize the maritime industry is within reach, and for Amogy, this is just the beginning,” he added.
The successful sailing of the NH 3 Kraken represents the most impressive demonstration to date of Amogy’s ability to implement its technology, following successful demonstrations of an aerial drone, a commercial agricultural tractor and a semi-trailer . Amogy will leverage the knowledge gained from this demonstration for real-world applications of its technology, including ship renovation and newbuild projects. The company is already working on contracts signed or under negotiation with organizations such as Hanwha Ocean , Terox and others.
Amogy’s patented system converts ammonia into electrical energy by splitting it into its basic elements, hydrogen and nitrogen, through a liquid ammonia “cracking” process. The hydrogen is then fed into a fuel cell, producing high-performance, carbon-free power. The technology offers a sustainable, clean energy solution suitable for hard-to-decarbonize sectors such as shipping, as well as stationary power generation applications. In this demonstration, the NH 3 Kraken was fueled with green ammonia, produced entirely from renewable energy, further reducing its carbon footprint.
The global shipping industry emits nearly one billion tonnes of greenhouse gases per year, equivalent to the emissions of a G7 country such as Germany or Japan. The success of the NH3 Kraken voyage confirms the vast potential of ammonia to revolutionise the shipping industry and other energy production sectors in the future.
“Ammonia is the second most produced chemical in the world, with approximately 20 million tonnes moving through 200 ports worldwide each year. With this history, there is every opportunity to change the industry’s mindset and adopt it as a fuel, and at an accelerated pace,” Mr Woo added.
Amogy plans to publish a case study with additional technical details in the coming months.
About Amogy:
Amogy develops carbon-free energy solutions to decarbonize hard-to-reach sectors such as shipping, as well as stationary power generation applications. Its patented ammonia cracking technology, already proven in real-world applications, is mature, scalable and offers a highly efficient method of converting liquid ammonia into electrical energy, in combination with hydrogen fuel cells.