{"id":4266,"date":"2024-09-04T23:46:59","date_gmt":"2024-09-04T23:46:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/exmar.com\/en\/?post_type=expertises&p=4266"},"modified":"2026-05-04T07:17:58","modified_gmt":"2026-05-04T07:17:58","slug":"exmar-ammonia-frequently-asked-questions","status":"publish","type":"expertises","link":"https:\/\/exmar.com\/en\/expertises\/exmar-shipping\/ammonia-propulsion-and-expertise\/exmar-ammonia-frequently-asked-questions\/","title":{"rendered":"EXMAR & Ammonia – Frequently Asked Questions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Overview of the available FAQ’s

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  1. What is ammonia and where is it used for?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Ammonia is toxic, how can the safety of the sea farers be guaranteed?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Which specific measures have been taken to secure the safety of the seafarers?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. What is the regulatory framework in regards to ammonia as fuel on Gas Carriers?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. What is the timeline for EXMAR\u2019s ammonia fueled ships?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Will the auxiliary engines also be powered by ammonia?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  7. When will the ammonia dual fueled engines be ready?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  8. How will the ammonia fuel injection work?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  9. What will be the emissions when operating on ammonia as fuel?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  10. Will the dual fuel engine require Pilot fuel?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  11. What will be the ammonia consumption?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  12. Can the vessel use ammonia as fuel in all Operational conditions?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  13. What is the difference for the ship using grey, blue or green ammonia?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  14. Will the safety principle of the gas safe engine room be affected?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  15. What will be the sailing range of the vessel using ammonia?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  16. How will the ships be bunkered?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  17. Does the crew needs to get additional training for ammonia as fuel?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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    1. What is ammonia and where is it used for?<\/strong> <\/h5>\n\n\n\n

    Ammonia is an inorganic compound of nitrogen and hydrogen which in ambient conditions is a colorless gas with a very strong smell. It is toxic to human life already in small concentrations which means it needs to be handled in a professional way with the highest care. In order to transport ammonia in an efficient way, it is liquefied and stored in cargo tanks on board of a ship in liquid form at a temperature of \u2013 33\u00b0C.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Ammonia is produced using the Haber-Bosch process which was invented in 1909. The feedstock for this process is pure hydrogen and nitrogen. Originally the hydrogen feedstock was produced using electrolysis of water and the nitrogen was purified out of the air. Hence using the Haber-Bosch process, very simple ingredients were needed to produce ammonia: water, electricity and air. Once natural gas became abundantly available in the \u201860s, the hydrogen production was shifting from electrolysis to steam methane reforming. It was found much cheaper to produce hydrogen by splitting methane into its base components and releasing the by-product, which is CO2, into the air. At that time, the adverse effect of CO2 on climate change was not yet known.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Ammonia produced using steam reforming of natural gas is currently labeled as \u201cgrey\u201d ammonia. The production process has a certain CO2 footprint which now comes with a cost in certain regions of the world where CO2 emission trading schemes are starting to be applied. In order to mitigate the CO2 emissions, the ammonia production plants using natural gas as feedstock are looking into capturing and storing the CO2 produced during the production process. Ammonia produced in combination with CCS is labeled as \u201cblue\u201d ammonia. Lastly, in order to fully avoid the CO2 emissions, several producers are looking at projects to shift back to the production of ammonia using electrolysis. When renewable electricity is used, the ammonia produced in this way is labeled as \u201cgreen\u201d ammonia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Totally, the world production of ammonia amounts to about 180 million tons in 2023. Nearly all of that production is currently based on fossil fuels. The largest part of the ammonia, over 70%, is used for the production of fertilizers and hence this is very important part of the global food supply chain. Other applications for ammonia include e.g. urea for the SCR technology, TNT production for the mining industry, refrigerant, base chemical for fabrics industry, base chemical for plastics manufacturing, etc\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    2. Ammonia is toxic, how can the safety of the sea farers be guaranteed?<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

    With 40 years of experience in handling NH3 as cargo, EXMAR\u2019s seafarers are best placed to operate ammonia fueled gas carriers. During the design and development of the vessel all potential risks were evaluated and mitigated with valuable input from our seafarers. The necessary safety studies and risk assessments took place to meet this target. A Risk Based Design Assessment was conducted using a methodology provided by the Classification Society, Lloyds Register. Using the input of the key stake holders; EXMAR, HD Hyundai (shipyard), WinGD (engine designer), HHI-EMD (engine builder) and Wartsila Gas Solutions (supply system maker) supported by the BELGIAN flag state a safe design concept was obtained. Safety principles which are common in the gas shipping industry, like double barriers, gas detection, closed loop systems, hazardous area classification etc. have been installed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    3. Which specific measures have been taken to secure the safety of the seafarers?<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

    The safety of seafarers is EXMAR\u2019s top priority. The vessel design is the result of extensive collaboration, including workshops, risk assessments, and rigorous technical reviews. The key principle throughout the process has been to achieve a safety level equivalent to that of a conventionally fuelled ammonia carrier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    All additional equipment and ammonia inventories required for fuel use were carefully assessed. Where any potential deviation from this safety benchmark was identified, further safety measures and mitigations were implemented to ensure the overall safety level remained fully aligned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This has resulted in a range of safety features, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n