The world's first ship powered by pure ammonia - Photo: XINHUA
The Anhui, the world’s first ship to use pure ammonia fuel, completed its maiden voyage in Hefei, Anhui Province, eastern China. The event is considered a breakthrough, opening a new era for the global green shipping industry.
Ammonia (NH 3 ), a key feedstock in the chemical industry, stands out for its high energy density and carbon-neutral properties. When completely burned, ammonia releases only water (H 2 O) and nitrogen (N 2 ), completely eliminating carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, making it a potential fuel solution for decarbonizing the shipping sector.
In recent years, leading shipping groups in Japan and Norway have stepped up investment in research and development of ships using ammonia.
According to a 2021 report by the International Energy Agency (IEA), ammonia is estimated to meet about 45% of global energy demand for shipping by 2050 in a net-zero emissions scenario.
However, the application of ammonia still faces several technical challenges, including poor ignition and unstable combustion.
The "Anhui" ship is a product of joint research and development between the Institute of Energy of the National Comprehensive Science Center of Hefei and its subsidiary, Shenzhen Haixu New Energy Co., Ltd.
The ship is equipped with an advanced propulsion system consisting of a 200kW high-speed gas-fired generator, two 100kW propulsion engines and a twin propeller system. With a displacement of 50 tons, the ship is capable of operating at a speed of 10 knots (equivalent to 18.5km/h).
Wu Dianwu, representative of the institute, said that the team of engineers has successfully solved many core technological challenges. These breakthroughs include plasma ignition technology for pure ammonia fuel, maintaining stable combustion, and methods for controlling and igniting hydrogen-ammonia gas mixtures in internal combustion engines...
In addition, the team has successfully developed a pure ammonia fuel burner and devices for catalytic decomposition of ammonia gas.
The test ride demonstrated the stable combustion of pure ammonia fuel, achieving near-zero CO2 emissions while effectively controlling nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions.
These results confirm the wide application potential of ammonia-hydrogen fuel not only in the maritime and road transport sectors but also in industrial boiler systems and fuel cells.
Mr. Wang Junli, secretary general of the China Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, said the successful voyage of the Anhui was an important milestone in establishing a clean, low-carbon energy system for water transport.
He stressed that if pure ammonia engines can reach the megawatt level, the application range of this material will be greatly expanded, making an important contribution to realizing China's "dual carbon" goals.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/tau-chay-bang-ammonia-nguyen-chat-dau-tien-tren-the-gioi-20250628221014731.htm
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