Safe and flexible marine infrastructure for ammonia transfer and storage

ECOnnect has developed a system called the IQuay, which uses flexible floating hoses to transfer liquefied natural gas (LNG). Unlike traditional methods that rely on massive jetties or quays, the IQuay dramatically lowers costs—by as much as 50-80%—and eliminates the environmental impact of building large-scale port infrastructure. Now, the innovative IQuay is being adapted for transferring liquid ammonia, a clean alternative marine fuel, through the TransAm project. As the world moves toward greener solutions, ammonia is emerging as a key carbon-free fuel for shipping. However, to support the transition to ammonia as a shipping fuel, the cost of infrastructure for handling it needs to come down. That’s where ECOnnect’s IQuay and Azane Fuel Solutions come in. Azane is developing various solutions for intermediate local storage and rapid transfer bunkering of ammonia to ships. Together, these technologies aim to make ammonia a viable option for powering ships sustainably. But working with ammonia comes with challenges. Ammonia is toxic, and if a spill occurs, it can create hazardous vapor clouds that behave unpredictably depending on the conditions. To address this, ECOnnect is designing strict safety systems for the IQuay, and in the TransAm project, advanced simulations will be run to predict and control ammonia dispersion in case of a spill. Another technical hurdle is transferring ammonia efficiently. The flexible hoses used in the IQuay have large internal corrugations, which affect how fluids move through them. Accurately predicting friction and heat loss in these hoses is crucial to ensuring they perform as needed. Finally, to make the IQuay ready for handling ammonia and optimizing the technical process, a detailed digital model of the entire transfer process will be developed. These innovations will make ammonia transfers safer, faster, and more cost-effective, paving the way for a cleaner shipping industry.

ECOnnect has developed the Universal Transfer System (UTS) for transferring LNG via flexible floating hoses, replacing traditional jetties or quays. This innovative system significantly reduces costs by 50-80% and eliminates the environmental footprint of large jetties. Initially designed for LNG, the UTS is also suitable for transferring other fluids. In the TransAm project, the goal is to make the UTS commercially viable for liquid ammonia transfer. Azane Fuel Solutions is developing ammonia bunkering technology for the shipping industry, focusing on barge-based ammonia storage and rapid transfer to ships. This process uses the same transfer hoses as the ECOnnect UTS and faces similar safety requirements. Ammonia, a promising carbon-free marine fuel, can help the shipping industry meet crucial climate goals. Reducing the cost of ammonia infrastructure therefore supports the green transition. However, understanding the safety issues, particularly related to ammonia spills, is critical. Ammonia’s dispersion behavior is complex, and the resulting toxic cloud depends heavily on the source conditions. Therefore, the UTS implement strict safety measures to prevent spills and mitigate their impacts. To assess potential spill scenarios, simulations of ammonia dispersion are needed. Additionally, detailed modeling of heat transfer and pressure loss in the flexible hoses is essential. These hoses have large internal corrugations and in combination with boil-off the predictions are difficult. Accurate friction factor predictions are vital for designing the UTS with properly sized hoses. To optimize bunkering and transfer operations, process models are needed. SINTEF will provide a dynamic process model that includes both a 1D pipeline model, process equipment and a non-equilibrium cargo tank description.