Oslo-based Pherousa Green Shipping, together with Pherousa Green Technologies, is set to place an order for up to six ultramax dry bulk carriers with ammonia-to-hydrogen cracking technology onboard.
Ammonia cracking is the process by which ammonia is decomposed into hydrogen and nitrogen over a catalyst.
The initial ship design is based on an existing ultramax model designed by Deltamarin in Finland and adapted for the Pherousa Green Technology (PGT), using ammonia as a hydrogen carrier onboard vessels.
PGT said its ammonia cracking technology allows the ship’s engines to be operated with a minimal amount of pilot fuel, providing a truly zero-emission vessel using enriched ammonia and hydrogen as fuel. The system also enables the use of pure hydrogen in PEM fuel cells instead of direct ammonia fuel cells for electric power production.
“The only fuel that is truly zero emission is hydrogen, but hydrogen storage is the biggest challenge for deep-sea shipping. Ammonia is the only readily available hydrogen carrier that has no carbon in its molecule, therefore the only truly zero-carbon hydrogen carrier.
The ammonia cracking technology developed by PGT is a game changer that could become a major contributor toward the realization of the world´s zero-emission shipping,” said PGT Group chairman Hans Bredrup.
The initial fleet of six ships is aimed at the worldwide copper industry and Pherousa Green Shipping is said to be in advanced talks with miners for their employment. The company added that it is working actively with fuel suppliers, yards, and financiers to ensure timely delivery of the vessels, but it did not provide any specific timeframe.
PGT was founded in 2020 by Vasilis Besikiotis and Tonny Thorsen. The company has the right to commercialise the technology to crack and purify hydrogen from ammonia to fuel cell quality for use in the maritime sector. Helbio Holdings, a subsidiary of Metacon, and HAV Group each own 10% of PGT.
