Finnish trio to build green ammonia-fuelled cargo vessel

Finnish shipping company Meriaura, technology firm Wärtsilä and green ammonia start-up Green NortH2 Energy have teamed up to build a cargo vessel that can run on green ammonia.

PHOTO: One of Meriaura's open deck carriers. Meriaura

The vessel will be ordered and operated by Meriaura, and fitted with an engine from Wärtsilä. Green NortH2 Energy will supply the vessel with green ammonia, which is produced with renewable electricity.

The vessel will operate in in the heavy project cargo segment, along with Meriaura’s existing open deck carriers. It will also be built to run on biofuel or marine diesel oil (MDO).

Delivery of the vessel is set for 2024 and it is expected to start operating on green ammonia in 2026.

Meriaura believes that green ammonia can play a crucial role in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as the energy need of the shipping industry “cannot be met with battery technology.” It also said that green ammonia holds an edge over the less energy dense hydrogen in storage, transport and consumption.

Ammonia has been gaining steam as a viable source of energy for the shipping industry.

In August, Japanese engineering firm Mitsubishi and power generation company JERA announced their intentions to supply green electricity and build an ammonia bunkering terminal in Singapore.

In the same month, Norwegian bunkering company Azane Fuel Solutions received an approval from ship classification society DNV for its ammonia terminal bunkering and loading station in Scandinavia, in collaboration with fertilizer manufacturer Yara International.

By Tuhin Roy

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