Firms embark on world first ammonia conversion project
Project aims to convert offshore supply vessel with an ammonia-fuelled combustion engine.
Finnish technology group Wärtsilä and Norwegian ship owner Eidesvik Offshore ASA are collaborating to convert an offshore supply vessel (OSV) with an ammonia-fuelled combustion engine with a required fuel supply and safety system.
The firms say the project “will be the first of its kind ever in the world” with a provisional completion target by the end of 2023.
The OSV currently has Wärtsilä dual-fuel engines operating primarily with LNG fuel. The conversion will allow the vessel to operate with a 70% ammonia blend, an amount that Wärtsilä has already successfully laboratory tested.
Long term, it is hoped operation with 100 percent ammonia and with a minimum ignition fuel requirement can be achieved