Korean trio teams up with Amogy on ammonia technology for ships

Classification society Korean Register (KR), shipbuilding major Hanwha Ocean, aerospace industrial company Hanwha Aerospace and ammonia power solutions company Amogy have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that focuses on the technical collaboration and certification for the application of ammonia reformers and ammonia fuel cell systems to ships.

The agreement was signed at Posidonia 2024 in Athens, Greece, and aims to apply reformers and fuel cell systems to ships, enhancing energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions.

The ammonia reformers, used to produce gas with hydrogen as the main component and supply it to fuel cell stacks, are “essential” equipment for the adoption of fuel cell systems, KR claimed, adding that amid the increasing global decarbonization regulations, ammonia is emerging as a highly efficient alternative fuel.

KR noted that the MoU encompasses collaboration across various areas, including the design, development, testing and certification of ammonia reformers and fuel cell systems. Ultimately, the safety and suitability of these systems will be verified based on KR’s rules, international conventions and standards, with KR planning to issue a New Technical Qualification (NTQ) certificate.

Yeon Kyujin, Senior Vice President of KR, commented: “This agreement will be an important milestone in applying ammonia technology to ships. KR will continue to drive the decarbonization of the maritime industry, by providing technical support to ensure that reformers and fuel cell systems can be safely applied to ships.”

KIM Hyoungseog, Executive Vice President and CTO at Hanwha Ocean, said that the agreement will strengthen Hanwha Ocean’s competitiveness in the eco-friendly ship market, while Amogy’s CEO Woo Seonghoon stated: “I believe multi-party collaboration is vital for the decarbonization of the shipping industry, and we will continue to do our best to ensure the safe introduction of ammonia and ammonia-based fuel cell systems into the ship market.”

Moon Seunghak, Head of E-Propulsion System Business Group at Hanwha Aerospace, pointed out: “The introduction of ammonia-based fuel cell systems is essential for the decarbonization of the shipping industry. We expect to maximize synergy through the cooperation of the four companies. This technological development will play a key role in establishing a carbon-neutral eco system in the ship transportation market.”

To remind, in April 2024, Amogy, Hanwha Ocean and Hanwha Aerospace entered a partnership to accelerate the decarbonization of the maritime industry through the deployment of Amogy’s zero-emission ammonia-to-power technology for ammonia-powered vessels. Specifically, Hanwha Ocean signed a contract to purchase Amogy’s ammonia-to-electrical power system, including Hanwha Aerospace’s hydrogen fuel cell system.