Many green fuels reach their limits when it comes to propelling giant vessels across the ocean. IKEM is releasing an infographic poster to explain the potential for green ammonia to serve as a carbon-neutral fuel for the shipping sector.
In the face of climate change and the energy crisis, the decarbonisation of our energy supply has never been more urgent – especially in the shipping sector, one of the largest contributors of greenhouse gas emissions. ‘Neither hydrogen nor lithium-ion batteries have the energy density needed to propel giant vessels thousands of kilometres across the ocean,’ explained Menke Knol, M. Sc. in physics and a research associate in IKEM’s Sustainability & Innovation Department.
That’s where ammonia comes into play. Produced with renewable electricity, this green fuel packs the power to take the shipping sector to a low-carbon future. There are currently no commercial vessels using this sustainable alternative, but this may soon change: the International Maritime Organization is expected to officially recognise ammonia as a fuel in 2023.
‘By 2023, we need to see policy targets, investments in R&D, training, infrastructure and, of course, a steep increase in renewable energy capacities to power the production of green ammonia. There’s a long road ahead, but with political will and industrial innovation, ammonia can become a mainstream fuel in the next decade,’ said Anika Nicolaas Ponder, head of IKEM’s Sustainability & Innovation Department.
