Ships Powered by Clean Ammonia Set Sail

Currently, there are three smaller ammonia powered demonstration vessels on the water. In February, a platform supply vessel, the Fortescue Green Pioneer, began tests in the Port of Singapore. In August, NYK and IHI Power Systems began testing an ammonia powered tugboat, the Sakigake, in the Port of Tokyo and, in September, Amogy began testing its ammonia powered tugboat, the NH3 Kraken near New York City. While many ammonia engines in development are combustion-based, Amogy is taking a different approach by building a system that encompasses an ammonia cracker and then feeds the hydrogen output into fuel cells for power.

Even more ambitious efforts to promote adoption of ammonia as a fuel for larger ships took a major leap forward earlier this month when the International Maritime Organization approved interim design guidelines that will enable ammonia powered tankers weighing 500 gross tons or more to set sail by mid-2026.  The guidelines address the vessel, fuel system, and bunkering system designs to ensure safety of the crew and may be relied upon immediately even as further refinements may be adopted over time.

Now that regulation, technology and fuel supply are converging, capital is beginning to flow into the ammonia marine engine space. In February, the fertilizer producer Yara International placed a firm order for the first ammonia powered container ship to be delivered in 2026. MAN Energy Solutions and Wärtsilä are among companies building ammonia engine order books for 25+ tankers intended to be delivered in 2026 and 2027 (MAN recently began testing a full-scale model of its two-stroke, duel fuel ammonia engine). Most recently, in late November, renewables-focused private equity firm Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners announced a partnership with Faerder Tanks and BW Epic Kosan to develop a fleet of ammonia powered medium gas carriers with first completion in 2028.