What is it? NH3
Ammonia is a commonly produced industrial chemical. At ambient
temperature and pressure, ammonia is a clear, colourless gas that is lighter
than air. It can be absorbed in water and is corrosive, with potential for
serious injury to eyes, throat and lungs. It has a distinctive pungent odour.
About 70% of current ammonia production is for the fertiliser
industry (World Economic Forum, 2022) and it is seen as a critical resource for
global food security. More than half of currently available ammonia is produced
in four countries (China, the US, India and Russia), using hydrogen formed from
natural gas and coal, then combined with nitrogen separated from the air using
electricity. The hydrogen production processes, coal gasification (26%)
and steam methane reforming (73%), account for the majority of the CO2 emitted
during ammonia production today.
Decarbonisation efforts in sectors that already use ammonia
products are adding pressure for production to become greener. There are two
methods for producing the hydrogen used in the creation of clean ammonia. The
first involves the use of fossil feedstocks and applying carbon capture and
utilisation techniques. The second method involves using electrolysis to
extract hydrogen from water, which is a cleaner alternative to reforming or
gasifying hydrogen from coal or natural gas. Hydrogen from either source is
combined with nitrogen extracted from the air, using the Haber-Bosch process.
To produce green ammonia, renewable electricity is required for both
electrolysis and for combining hydrogen with nitrogen.
Applicability
Where combustion fuel is concerned, ammonia is rising to
prominence as a long-term choice. Challenges are still being worked
through but supposed ‘deal-breakers’ are quickly being surmounted, with the
first ammonia-powered ships due to hit the water in 2025.
In terms of technology, engine-makers such as Wärtsilä, MAN
Energy Solutions and WinGD have all reported significant progress in
ammoniacapable marine engines in the past year. Bolstered by successful testing
programmes and the concurrent development of fuel supply and safety mitigation
systems, newbuild engines and retrofits (enabling existing engines to run on
ammonia fuel) look set for commercial availability from 2025. Some pilot
projects are already in operation.
Readiness of ammonia as a marine fuel
Lloyd’s Register has collaborated with industry stakeholders to
build a comprehensive assessment of different aspects of the fuel supply chain
from production to delivery onboard, and the technologies for use as a fuel
onboard for power generation.
General safety and toxicity issues
Ammonia can be found naturally in the air, soil, water and in
our bodies. It is also an ingredient in household cleaners and other household
products. However, it can cause irritation and burning of the skin, mouth,
throat, lungs and eyes. High levels can severely damage the lungs and lead to
death. The level of harm depends on concentration and duration of exposure.
Ambient ammonia vapour is lighter than air, however when compressed ammonia is
released, the liquid flash evaporates, causing a heavier-than-air vapour cloud.
Recommendations
§ Lowering
storage temperature to reduce the safety risk from ammonia fuel
§ Dividing
the fuel preparation room into two or more separate spaces containing different
groups of equipment that could leak ammonia
§ Minimising,
monitoring, and controlling access to, and length of time spent, in spaces
containing ammonia equipment
§ Placing
ventilation outlets from spaces containing ammonia equipment in a safe
location, adequately separated from areas accessed by crew, to avoid accidental
release of toxic concentrations of ammonia affecting personnel
§ Installation
of multiple sensors of different types to detect ammonia leaks
Ship operator demand and interest
Interest in ammonia as a fuel for shipping is driven both by its
potential as a zero- or near-zero emissions fuel and by its anticipated
increasing role in the world economy as an efficient, transportable energy
carrier. As the world looks towards the hydrogen economy to decarbonise
industry, the properties of ammonia make it more suitable to trading across
oceans. And as more ships begin to carry ammonia, more will become candidates
for using it as fuel. Ammonia’s growth in maritime can therefore be separated
into two streams: increasing demand for ocean transportation from gas carriers,
some of which will use the cargo as a fuel; and increasing demand specifically
as a bunker fuel for non-gas carrying vessels.
Summary
In 2023, engine-makers began revealing their final designs.
Shipbuilders will soon be able to complete and install these engines in
frontrunner orders. Simultaneously, there is ongoing development in ammonia
fuel supplies, with shipping companies securing offtake deals to ensure they
have access to a steady supply of net-zero ammonia.
As with other low carbon intensity fuels, pricing of renewable
electricity, green hydrogen and carbon capture will all play into ammonia
fuel pricing calculations. Clean ammonia producers, whether those creating new
plants or incumbent manufacturers seeking to upgrade production to create blue
and green ammonia, see potential in increased demand from agriculture and other
sectors, as well as from shipping. This will put pressure on supply.
Another key element in ammonia deployment will be the lifecycle
assessment of the fuel source to ensure vessels are fully capable of remaining
compliant in an uncertain regulatory landscape. Future carbon pricing remains a
key determinant in the use of any low-carbon fuel, including ammonia.
Production costs remain high and the fuels have lower energy density compared
to conventional fuel oils.
LR has proven it has the credentials to support companies
pioneering ammonia as a fuel in the field. These include detailed HAZID, HAZOP
and quantitative risk assessments, as well as several approvals in principle
for vessel designs and technologies and significant technical rule development.
As a fuel-agnostic and safety-oriented organisation, LR’s aim
is to assist in the development of a safe framework for the adoption of the
ammonia cargo market and for ammonia’s use of other fuels.
There are significant safety challenges to the wider maritime
use, and carriage of, ammonia. By taking steps to develop this framework
today, LR aims to rigorously address these challenges and avoid delay to the
use of a potentially valuable fuel option for decarbonising industry and
shipping.
Challenges notwithstanding, demand for oceanic transport of
green ammonia as an energy carrier continues to grow. Projections indicate that
a significant proportion of the world’s merchant fleet will, in the long term,
benefit from the use of ammonia as fuel – delivering the first carbon-free
power source for global shipping since the (first) age of sail ships.
For
more details, download below the comprehensive report by LR "Fuel for
Thought:
AMMONIA": https://maritimecyprus.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/LR_Fuel_for_Thought_Ammonia_c.pdf
