To make zero-emissions shipping a reality by using ammonia as a fuel, Yara recognizes the need for value chain collaboration, and announced that it became a member of The Society for Gas as a Marine Fuel (SGMF).
Yara established the Yara Clean Ammonia (YCA) unit in 2021, focusing on capturing growth opportunities in emission-free fuel for shipping and power plants, carbon-free food production and ammonia for power and industrial applications.
Commenting on the development, Magnus Krogh Ankarstrand, President of Yara Clean Ammonia, said that:
By becoming a member of the Board of Directors, YCA can effectively add value and create clarity on the implications of ammonia for the maritime industry. Our ambition is to accelerate ammonia as fuel and making carbon free shipping a reality
In addition, Mark Bell, General Manager, The Society for Gas as a Marine Fuel (SGMF), added that ammonia has both great potential and challenges as a marine fuel.
SGMF has been busy evaluating both hydrogen and ammonia as marine fuels and is conducting a Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) Study on ammonia as a marine fuel, similar as to what has been done for LNG but exclusively as a literature study. The scope will include both fossil (grey/blue) and sustainable (green) variants.
Furthermore, SGMF will also be launching an ‘Ammonia as a Marine Fuel – an introductory guide’ which will be outlining strategic facts about NH3. This high-level document guide relates to what are, and will be, more technically thorough SGMF guidelines, aimed at supporting the eventual ammonia ship fuel industry develop.
Both documents are expected to be published in 2022.
Commenting about the future of ammonia in shipping, DNV expects the first ammonia-fueled vessels to hit the water in the second half of this decade.
However, DNV noted that large-scale uptake of this technology is not expected until the early 2030s.
More specifically, the classification society, said that the first engines will likely be installed on ammonia tankers.
As it said, these kinds of vessels could be ideal candidates because they already have the fuel as cargo and crews with experience in handling ammonia.
