Amogy, Green Ships Invest to Deploy Ammonia-Powered Platform Supply Vessels

Green Ships Invest (GSI) and Amogy entered a contract to design and deploy ammonia-powered, carbon-free ePSVs, enabled by GSI’s purchase of Amogy’s ammonia-to-power solutions. The companies signed a memorandum of understanding in October 2023, and this deployment contract builds upon their existing partnership.

“Securing this contract with Amogy marks a pivotal moment in our journey towards sustainable maritime innovation,” said Per Kavli, CEO of Green Ships Invest. “It reinforces our commitment to leading the charge in designing and deploying vessels that not only meet but advance global emission reduction targets.”

GSI will integrate 10 Amogy 200 kW ammonia-to-electrical power systems in the design of the eSPVs, which will also be equipped with 2 MW of ammonia-supported clean energy capacity. During the project’s second phase, GSI will apply Amogy’s systems in two additional vessels to support sustainable offshore operations. These vessels will be operated by Bourbon Horizon as part of their integration into the maritime industry.

Diagram of electrical platform supply vessel; Image Credits: Green Ships Invest

Amogy’s ammonia-to-electrical power system will be the main propulsion method in GSI’s 82-meter ePSV design. The vessels will also be equipped with traditional diesel generators for power redundancy and operational reliability—ePSVs have the capability of 100% Marine Gasoil operation if required. A diesel engine backup provides a fail-safe, maintaining the vessel’s safety and performance while ensuring a commitment to sustainable operations.

“Our partnership with Green Ships Invest and the operational expertise of Bourbon Horizon represents a crucial milestone in Amogy’s mission to decarbonize the maritime sector,” said Christian Berg, Managing Director at Amogy. “This contract signifies confidence in our ammonia-to-power technology as a viable solution for the industry’s urgent decarbonization needs.”

In terms of ammonia power development on land, CF Industries (CFI) recently acquired Incitec Pivot’s Waggaman ammonia production facility and related assets for $1.675 billion in December 2023. Located in Louisiana, CFI will use the Waggaman facility to fulfill ammonia offtake agreements with several pre-existing customers, including a 200,000-ton deal with Dyno Nobel, a subsidiary of Incitec Pivot.

“We are pleased to grow our ammonia production capabilities with the addition of IPL’s Waggaman ammonia production facility and team,” said Tony Will, President and CEO, CF Industries Holdings. “This transaction deploys our capital efficiently, delivering immediate profitable growth by adding ammonia production units in North America into our existing network, while advancing our long-term strategic focus on low-carbon ammonia as a clean energy source.”

Decarbonization with lower-carbon fuels for power generation, such as ammonia, was a central topic at this year’s POWERGEN International conference in New Orleans. At a session titled Low-Carbon Fuels for Power Generation, Ben Emerson of Georgia Tech listed some of the challenges and latest research on ammonia-firing. In addition to mentioning NOx emissions during combustion, Emerson included the fuel’s potential use as a powerful refrigerant and the latest efforts from Georgia Tech in flame stabilization during ammonia combustion.