The world's first ammonia-powered ship successfully completed its first voyage, gaining a new milestone in the push for green shipping.
According to AZoCleantech, Amogy's ammonia-fueled tugboat, the Kraken, completed its maiden voyage in a tributary of New York's Hudson River. The Kraken uses green ammonia, or ammonia that is collected via environmentally conscious means, to power its engine. It does this by "cracking" the gas into hydrogen and nitrogen and then funneling said hydrogen into fuel cells to power the craft.
"By demonstrating our technology on the water for the first time, we've gained invaluable knowledge that will help us move quickly to commercialization and real-world applications," Amogy CEO Seonghoon Woo said. "The opportunity to decarbonize the maritime industry is within reach, and for Amogy, it's just the beginning."
Amogy's work is not just maritime-based; the company has tested drones, farm equipment, and semitrucks, all powered by ammonia. Its goal is to help push the shipping industry into a greener future on multiple fronts.
The shipping industry has been eagerly seeking solutions to its carbon pollution problems and has made a number of significant leaps. The AirWing is in development and promises to help harness wind energy efficiently to minimize the use of shipping crafts' dirty engines. A new biofuel made from waste products is carbon-negative and being tested as a viable fuel for the shipping industry. Even ports themselves are getting in on the movement, with the first-ever hydrogen-powered crane running at the Port of Los Angeles.
For its part, Amogy envisions ammonia-based fuel as a widely available solution.
"Ammonia is the world's second most produced chemical, with around 20 million tons moving around the globe through 200 ports each year," Woo said. "With that track record, shifting the industry mindset to use it as a fuel is completely achievable, and can happen at an accelerated pace."
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