US-based engineering firm KBR has been awarded a study to develop a green ammonia-based power system for a semi-submersible drilling unit owned by Odfjell.
The company will collaborate with Norway’s Odfjell and Equinor as well as Finnish tech company Wärtsilä to assess the conversion of the diesel generators on board drilling units to ammonia-fueled generators.
“We are excited to be a part of a collaborative effort that will fully integrate KBR’s semisubmersible technology expertise, Wärtsilä’s power systems, and Odfjell’s and Equinor’s operations capabilities, all to deliver a carbon-neutral solution,” said Jay Ibrahim, president of KBR Sustainable Technology Solutions. “This project demonstrates the role ammonia can play in decarbonising existing assets and achieving net-zero targets.”
KBR has been supporting Equinor and Odfjell for more than three decades with marine technology, engineering and original semi-submersible designs. The company is an ammonia licensor and its K-GreeN technology, which produces carbon-free ammonia based on electrolysis of water, is said to be a “viable, renewable alternative to decarbonising the maritime and shipping industries”.
