As a result of a collaboration agreement struck by Wärtsilä and Simon Møkster Shipping in Norway, the two companies plan to conduct a first feasibility study on using ammonia as the primary fuel in dual-fuel engines with LNG as a backup.
Ultimately, the goal is to show that adapting vessels to run on both ammonia and LNG is both feasible and safe. In October of 2021, both parties signed the deal.
“We are excited to join Wärtsilä in this project. We see this as a step towards meeting our targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and our ambition is to cut our fleet’s CO2 emissions by 40 percent by 2030. By 2050 we expect to reach net-zero carbon emissions,” says Anne Jorunn Møkster, Owner and CEO Simon Møkster.
“Decarbonization is central to the future of shipping, and Wärtsilä is totally committed to helping our customers achieve this goal. This collaboration agreement represents further evidence of this commitment. We are leading the way towards the adoption of alternative cleaner future marine fuels through extensive testing and research, and we see ammonia as an extremely promising option,” says Cato Esperø, Head of Sales Norway, Wärtsilä.
The ‘Stril Pioneer,’ an offshore supply vessel (OSV) currently powered by Wärtsilä 32DF dual-fuel engines and running on LNG as its principal fuel, will be used for the testing. In 2003, Simon Mkster became one of the first shipowners to employ LNG as a marine fuel on the ‘Stril Pioneer.’ By burning a mixture of ammonia and LNG, CO2 emissions will be greatly decreased.
