Ammonia Viable Alternative Bunker Fuel, Says Naval Architect

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Monday April 23, 2018

There is a case to be made for ammonia as a less polluting alternative to oil-derived marine fuels as well as their greenhouse gas (GHG) compromised alternatives, according to a naval architect.

Made up of hydrogen and nitrogen, ammonia has a number of advantages, Niels de Vries of C-Job Naval Architects wrote in the Cruise & Ferry publication.

"Thanks to the abundance of the sources for hydrogen and nitrogen, ammonia is a fully renewable fuel alternative that could be produced in great capacities," he said.

In addition, it can be burned in an internal combustion engine using a catalyst.
 
As it is already widely used in fertilizer, a bunkering infrastructure could be set up on the back of what is already there.

"The transport and fertiliser industry's experience of handling and transporting ammonia should enable the next step to provide ammonia as a safe and renewable fuel for the maritime industry," he said

However, while ammonia is carbon-free, "three times the volume of ammonia is required to provide the same energy as oil-derived heavy fuel oil, and the former is twice as heavy as the latter", according to de Vries. 

The decision by the International Maritime Organisation to work towards a 50% cut in shipping's GHG output by 2050 has seen doubts surface over other alternative fuel forms, in particular, liquified natural gas.