Trafigura, MAN Energy Solutions to make ammonia engines for ships

LONDON (ICIS)–Global commodity trading major Trafigura Group on Thursday announced it will co-sponsor the development of MAN Energy Solutions’ ammonia-fuelled engine for maritime vessels.

The fuel-flexible, two-stroke ammonia engine is expected to be commercially available for large-scale ocean-going ships by 2024, followed by a retrofit package to make existing maritime vessels capable of running on ammonia by 2025, Trafigura said in a statement.

According to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), maritime shipping emits around 1m tonnes/year of carbon dioxide and is responsible for almost 3% of all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

“Shipping faces a significant challenge in reducing its emissions, while at the same time the threat of climate change requires urgent action to decarbonise,” said Jose Maria Larocca, executive director and co-head of oil trading for Trafigura.

“Developing engines and the supporting infrastructure to provide the industry with the ability to adopt carbon-neutral and carbon-free fuels is key to establishing a greener shipping industry in the near future.”

Dr Uwe Lauber, CEO of Denmark-based MAN Energy Solutions, added: “The final goal for two-stroke engines is to run them entirely on carbon-neutral and carbon-free fuels and we welcome Trafigura’s support for this key decarbonisation technology.

“The interest from shipping companies – and indeed from all links in the entire marine supply chain – in new fuel-technologies currently has great momentum, however the move to green engines also depends on economic realities.

“No shipping company can risk having its fleet stranded during this transition, which is why we offer flexible solutions that will allow shipping to adapt to the availability of carbon neutral fuels in the market.”

Last week, MAN Energy Solutions launched the “AmmoniaMot” (ammonia engine in German) project with help from industry and research institutes in Germany.

The three-year initiative aims to define the steps necessary to produce a dual-fuel, medium-speed engine capable of running on diesel-fuel and ammonia and is supported by public and private sector partners.