Ammonia as green fuel? Is it what the maritime industry needs for sustainability? Considered as the "Teslas of the sea," ammonia-fueled marine vessels are becoming the hottest topic in the maritime industry. In the search for feasible fossil-free fuels for marine vessels, ammonia has been on the agenda for quite some time as one of the strongest alternatives. Aiming to meet the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) targets regarding carbon emissions, more new buildings are leaning towards cleaner fuels to align with these set targets. However, despite having clear advantages in some areas, such as lower emissions due to emitting mainly nitrogen and water vapor, renewable production opportunities, higher energy density (higher than hydrogen), and already existing infrastructures for production, there are some drawbacks related to this transition. Most of these drawbacks that are being discussed revolve around the costs of transition, technological advancements required for the infrastructure to meet the increasing demand, and some other issues regarding feasibility in technical terms.
The problem is, in order to produce ammonia, huge amounts of electricity are needed, making it really energy-intensive. So it will all boil down to the method of electricity production to assess the cleanliness of ammonia as a marine fuel and is likely to be overlooked.
Another problem, despite ammonia being carbon-free, is that its combustion engines do release greenhouse gases, namely, laughing gas (a very potent greenhouse gas, 200 times more impactful than CO2, according to researcher Selma Brynolf). Therefore, even the strongest pro argument of the transition to ammonia-fueled engines has a shaky base to support.
The biggest (by far) drawback is the health-related hazards concerning the handling of ammonia. Exposure to high concentrations of ammonia in the air is dangerous and could lead to burning in the eyes, nose, throat, and respiratory systems. Additionally, it could lead to blindness, lung damage, and death. So this adds another dimension with an ethical perspective into the equation. There was one accident related to ammonia leakage on a marine vessel, where one crew member died and three others were severely injured, on April 6, 2021, in Malaysia.Is ammonia the future of the green maritime industry? Really curious about your thoughts as maritime professionals.
