In a challenge to the shipping industry to accelerate its
move to net-zero operations, Fortescue Future Industries, the green technology
unit of Australian mining giant Fortescue, said it will begin operating the
world’s first ammonia-fueled ship within the next year. The announcement comes
as part of an ambitious plan by Fortescue chairman Dr. Andrew Forrest to
decarbonize the company’s transportation and mining operations as well as the
aviation sector.
“This brings the shipping industry much closer to becoming
carbon neutral well before 2040 with only entrenched industry practices slowing
global progress of carbon-neutral shipping,” said Fortescue revealing its plans
for the first ship as well as a goal to convert its entire fleet of nearly 100
ore carriers. Earlier this year, the company already achieved successful
combustion of blended ammonia fuel in a locomotive.
The conversion in shipping will begin in partnership with
MMA Offshore converting the company’s 246-foot PSV the MMA Leveque. According
to Dr. Forrest, the vessel will “run almost totally on green ammonia,” within
the next 12 months. Currently, the MMA Leveque, which was built in 2010,
operates on four diesel-electric Cummins main engines.
Speaking at Transport Day at COP26, Dr. Forrest said, “This
vessel will show the shipping industry the power of a vessel fueled by green
ammonia in real-world conditions. It is world-leading technology and will
assist in providing the shipping industry with the practical know-how to
decarbonize completely.”
Forrest said that the company is investing heavily in
research and development to transform its operations on road, rail, and sea
with zero pollution fuels as soon as possible. He believes it will be possible
to achieve net-zero operations before 2040 and during his speech called for the
entire shipping industry to embrace the 2040 target.
Last summer, Wartsila, one of the many companies also
working on R&D for ammonia-fueled propulsion reported strong progress with
its trials. The company said its engines can currently operate on natural gas,
biogas, synthetic methane, or hydrogen blends of up to 25 percent hydrogen
while one engine was also operating on a 70 percent ammonia content. Wartsila
anticipates having an engine concept with pure ammonia fuel in 2023. The
company said its efforts will also lead to an engine and plant concept for pure
hydrogen operation for the energy market by 2025.