AmmoniaDrive: Towards ammonia as a viable renewable shipping fuel

Image: Rawpixel. The Dutch Research Council (NWO) has awarded over two million euros of 'Perspectief' funding for a consortium including Prof. Bob van der Zwaan at the University of Amsterdam's Van 't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences. Called 'AmmoniaDrive', the consortium sets out to develop ammonia as a viable maritime fuel for fully decarbonising global shipping, by combining Fuel Cell and Internal Combustion Engine technologies. The world economy depends on enormous ships for transport and offshore operations. Running on heavy fossil fuels, these ships make a substantial contribution to global CO₂ emissions and air pollution. The level of pollution is comparable to that of a large country like Germany. When it comes to alternative shipping fuels, a lot of potential may exist for renewably produced ('green') ammonia.