Hanwha Power Systems and GasLog shake hands on ammonia gas turbine retrofit project

Energy equipment and marine solutions company Hawnha Power Systems, a part of South Korean Hanwha Group, and Greek LNG shipping services provider GasLog have agreed to work on replacing the existing fossil fuel-powered vessels with ammonia gas turbines under the new memorandum of understanding (MoU).

The companies signed the MoU to convert GasLog’s LNG carrier propulsion system to an ammonia gas turbine at Gastech 2024 held in Houston on September 19.

Through this agreement, the companies plan to discuss details of the demonstration plan to replace the existing fossil fuel-powered vessels with eco-friendly ammonia gas turbines.

Last month, Hanwha Power Systems and Hanwha Ocean with the support of GasLog completed preliminary engineering and economic feasibility reviews for LNG carrier retrofitting.

Following the signing of the MoU, Hanwha Power Systems and GasLog, as strategic partners, will continue their collaboration focusing on performance, economic, and compliance assessments from a comprehensive perspective to promote the application of ammonia gas turbines in vessel retrofits.

Justin Lee, CEO of Hanwha Power Systems, commented on the agreement: “If the demonstration of ammonia gas turbines for ship propulsion is successful, it will be a major turning point in the global shipbuilding and shipping industry paving the way for eco-friendly fuel propulsion in vessels.”

Hanwha Power Systems, through its affiliate, Power Systems Mfg., LLC (PSM), located in the United States, has been actively developing an Ammonia (NH3) Combustion System to meet the anticipated requirements of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and EU “Fit for 55”. The system is planned to be implemented with a gas turbine intended for this propulsion power application. 

The company said ongoing discussions are also taking place with some major ship owners.

“In particular, ship owners point out that ammonia gas turbines do not require pilot oil during normal operation, whereas engines typically use pilot oil at all operating points. For a gas turbine using ammonia fuel it is possible to operate completely carbon-free, or operators can freely mix ammonia and natural gas so that they can respond flexibly and economically to future regulations. The gas turbine will generate a negligible amount of methane slip, even if natural gas is used as fuel. Feasibility studies are ongoing for other potential fuels that could be used,” Hanwha Power Systems explained.

In other recent news, South Korea’s shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean delivered the first of four LNG carriers to GasLog on August 23, 2024. The vessel named GasLog Italy is 294.9 meters long and 46.4 meters wide. It has a cargo tank capacity of 174,000 cubic meters and is powered by two HP-2S MEGI engines.