Alfa Laval levelling up in carbon-neutral fuel game

May 5, 2022, by Ajsa Habibic

Swedish Alfa Laval has acquired patented technology from the Danish company RenCat to reform hydrogen from ammonia in a move to bolster its position in carbon-neutral fuel processing.

Alfa Laval Test & Training Centre. Courtesy of Alfa Laval.

The company intends to deploy this technology, in combination with its heat transfer expertise, to increase the business opportunities within the market for hydrogen processing, facilitating the use of renewable fuels in the future.

As explained, RenCat’s patented technology generates hydrogen from ammonia, for use in fuel cells or combustion engines.

Ammonia is one of the carbon-neutral synthesized fuels, often referred to as Power-to-X where “x” can stand for ammonia, methanol, hydrogen, methane, etc.

The first products based on the technology are expected to be launched by the end of 2023.

Alfa Laval joins Methanol Institute to contribute to marine decarbonisation

In addition to targeting the hydrogen market, Alfa Laval is also working to promote methanol as an enabler of maritime decarbonisation.

In a separate statement, the Swedish company said it has joined the Methanol Institute, the global trade association for the methanol industry, representing the world’s leading methanol producers, distributors and technology companies.

According to Sameer Kalra, president of Marine Division at Alfa Laval, joining the Methanol Institute is “a natural step in the journey supporting customers and partners towards sustainable shipping”.

Meanwhile, the Swedish company reports that its FCM Methanol low-flashpoint supply system (LFSS) has been proven in over 100,000 hours of operation.

At the end of 2021, Alfa Laval received the industry’s first approval for operating boilers on methanol from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS). The approval was granted based on extensive solution testing at the Alfa Laval Test & Training Centre.

Furthermore, the company is looking for ways to make vessels more energy efficient through the E‑PowerPack which converts waste heat into electricity by means of Organic Ranking Cycle (ORC) technology.