The international maritime organization?s (IMO) strategy envisages 50 % reduction in the greenhouse gas emissions from international
shipping by 2050 and a complete phase out of CO2 emissions by 2100. At the same time, international maritime trade is expected to
triple by 2050 (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development OECD). It is clear that wide-scale implementation of low- andzero-emission solutions for maritime transport is the only way to sustain this growth while fulfilling the emission targets set by the IMO.
Ammonia is a promising fuel alternative that has the potential to be zero-emission if produced using renewable energy. Ammonia is
easier to liquefy than hydrogen and contains 70 % more energy per volume compared to liquid hydrogen, making it an attractive fuel
especially for large, ocean-going ships. Furthermore, as ammonia is widely used as a fertilizer, an infrastructure for safe transport and
handling is already in place worldwide.
The AEGIR project proposes a unique fuel cell and membrane based system for efficient conversion of ammonia to electrical energy. In
this concept, ammonia is first cracked to H2 and N2 using a solid oxide fuel cell; the H2 is extracted and purified using a proton
conducting electrochemical ceramic membrane; and finally converted to electrical energy using a polymer exchange membrane fuel cell.
By combining these three technologies AEGIR aims at developing an ammonia-fuelled ship propulsion system that offers high efficiency
in combination with a low total system volume and weight. The AEGIR concept avoids emissions of NOx and allows for a
drastic reduction of CO2 emissions as the product of the fuel cell conversion process is water.
AEGIR aims at assessing the technical viability of the proposed solution by experimentally testing the individual
components for the proposed application and modelling the system as a whole. The techno-economic feasibility of the proposed system
and its potential for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions compared to current solutions will be demonstrated in a well-to-propeller
analysis. The project consortium consists of research institutions having a strong track record within the three innovative technologies,industrial manufacturers for each of the three main components, and a ship yard that is sincerely committed to implement the solution in the future.
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The international maritime organization envisages 50 % reduction in the greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping by 2050 and a complete phase out of CO2 emissions by 2100. At the same time, international maritime trade is expected to triple by 2050 (OECD). It is clear that wide-scale implementation of low- and zero-emission solutions for maritime transport is the only way to sustain this growth while fulfilling the emission targets.
Ammonia is a promising fuel alternative that has the potential to be zero-emission if produced using renewable energy. The AEGIR project proposes a unique fuel cell and membrane based system for efficient conversion of ammonia to electrical energy. In this concept, ammonia is first cracked to H2 and N2 using a solid oxide fuel cell; the H2 is extracted and purified using a proton conducting electrochemical ceramic membrane; and finally converted to electrical energy using a polymer exchange membrane fuel cell. By combining these three technologies AEGIR aims at developing an ammonia-fuelled ship propulsion system that offers high efficiency in combination with a low total system volume and weight.
AEGIR aims at assessing the technical viability of the proposed solution by experimentally testing the individual components for the proposed application and modelling the system as a whole. The techno-economic feasibility of the proposed system and its potential for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions compared to current solutions will be demonstrated in a well-to-propeller analysis. The project consortium consists of research institutions having a strong track record within the three innovative technologies, industrial manufacturers for each of the three main components, and a ship yard that is sincerely committed to implement the solution in the future.
