Metacon receives approval in principle from ABS and DNV for ammonia cracking

The AiP’s come with no show-stopper conditions, affirming the viability and safety of the Pherousa ammonia cracking technology onboard ships with PEM fuel cells and fuel gas supply systems (FGSS), generating fully electrical propulsion.

This achievement marks a significant step forward in the development of sustainable emission-free propulsion solutions for the maritime industry. Key partners in the work towards the two AiP’s include the ship designer Deltamarin, the flag state Marshall Islands, the FGSS supplier Babcock International, and Metacon.

Pherousa holds an exclusive license to Metacon’s ammonia cracking technology for maritime use on board vessels. Pherousa is, together with Metacon and other partners, developing this ammonia cracking technology based on Metacon’s HIWAR^® technology. The overall goal is to make the transition to fossil-free and zero-emission propulsion within the maritime short-to-deep-sea transport sectors a reality. Ammonia is a non-explosive liquid that carries a significant amount of clean hydrogen energy that, if the technology is developed to utilise the contained hydrogen, can be used to drive new types of engines onboard. Therefore, ammonia as a fuel has potential to provide the solution for enabling the shift to carbon-free maritime transportation.

“Ammonia is gaining momentum as a hydrogen carrier for technology application onboard vessels, from coastal to deep-sea shipping and in parallel with this development, clean ammonia could potentially make up approximately 13% of the global ammonia supply by 2030. The AiP’s now allow Pherousa to continue the design and construction of the zero emission series of 64 000 dwt bulk carriers earmarked for the Copper industry. Only ships that have no carbon fuels onboard can ensure the end-users that the copper utilised for solar panels or electric cars is free of emissions in its supply chain,” said Hans Bredrup, Chairman of Pherousa.

The Pherousa subsidiary, Pherousa Shipping, has worked closely with two major copper miners during the design process of the Ultramax 64 000 dwt vessel, to find the optimal layout for an emission free transportation of copper concentrates between its origin and the smelters. The vessels are intended to be on the water in connection with the new IMO regulation that comes into force in 2030, thus allowing the cargo industry to use fully emission free vessels for their transportation of goods across the oceans.

The Metacon-Pherousa ammonia cracking can be applied to a variety of developed technologies, such as supplying hydrogen to PEM fuel cells, replacing conventional fuels with hydrogen as pilot fuel on ammonia fuelled internal combustion engines (ICE), supplying hydrogen ICE, all yielding 100% emission free propulsion, as well as supplying hydrogen to auxiliary engines to reduce or eliminate emissions. Any of the four alternatives holds final potential to be fitted onboard any type of vessel with an engine power up to 15 - 20 MW.

"I am very pleased to see the continued progress in Pherousa for the use and development of our ammonia cracking technology in the maritime sector. Ammonia remains the only CO₂-free solution for deep-sea shipping decarbonisation, with both fuel cell and combustion engine options for the marine drive trains. The partnership structure around Pherousa is powerful and AiP from both ABS and DNV is a significant milestone towards commercialisation,” commented Christer Wikner, President and CEO of Metacon and Board Director of Pherousa.

Read the article online at: https://www.globalhydrogenreview.com/hydrogen/13032025/metacon-receives-approval-in-principle-from-abs-and-dnv-for-ammonia-cracking/