Alma tests direct ammonia fuel cell system

Norwegian battery company Alma Clean Power (Alma) has successfully tested its 6-kW (kilowatt) direct ammonia fuel cell system.

PHOTO: Alma’s modular Solid Oxide Fuel Cell system concept. Alma

The 6-kW unit is “the first building block of a complete 100-kW SOFC (Solid Oxide Fuel Cell) module,” that the company wants to develop eventually. The system delivered an “impressive electrical efficiency of 61-67%,” Alma claims.

It is based on a direct ammonia fuel cell (DAFC) system that enables ammonia to be directly fed into the fuel cell system, thus foregoing the need for any energy consuming pre-treatment to convert the fuel into hydrogen prior to electricity production.

The company claims that with higher efficiency levels compared to traditional combustion engines, the battery system can “make ammonia operated maritime energy systems economically viable for ship owners.”

The SOFC modules are “combustion-free with no rotating parts” and can operate “autonomously without any maintenance need for long intervals,” according to the company.

“To gain knowledge and fine-tune the setup, testing will continue throughout the summer. After that, we will proceed with the assembly and testing of a complete 100-kW module which will serve as the foundation for larger ship installations”, Alma’s project manager Rune Tveit says.

By Tuhin Roy

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