The technology group Wärtsilä and Grieg Edge, the innovation hub of Norwegian shipping group Grieg Star, are jointly running a project to launch an ammonia-fuelled tanker producing no greenhouse gas emissions by 2024, Wärtsilä said in its release. The MS Green Ammonia project is the result of a Nordic industrial collaboration group founded from the Zeeds (Zero Emissions Energy Distribution at Sea) initiative. Pilot-E, the Norwegian funding scheme will support the project with a NOK 46,3 million (EUR 4.4million) grant.
The partners plan to have MS Green Ammonia distribute green ammonia from a planned factory in Berlevåg, Norway to various locations and end-users along the coast. The eventual design, size, and volume of the vessel will be dependent on the market and end-user interest. However, the project has already established Letters of Intent (LOI) with several heavyweight industrial partners.
Ship owners operating LNG-fuelled vessels represent a significant source of potential customers. Depending on the engine type, ammonia could be mixed with the LNG, or alternatively, the engine could be easily retrofitted to use only ammonia.
Wärtsilä in brief:
Wärtsilä is a global leader in smart technologies and complete lifecycle solutions for the marine and energy markets. By emphasising sustainable innovation, total efficiency and data analytics, Wärtsilä maximises the environmental and economic performance of the vessels and power plants of its customers. In 2019, Wärtsilä’s net sales totalled EUR 5.2 billion with approximately 19,000 employees. The company has operations in over 200 locations in more than 80 countries around the world. Wärtsilä is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki.