Baker Hughes and Hanwha plan to develop a new ammonia turbine for marine applications and power generation.
Under a Joint Develop and Collaboration Agreement (JDCA), Baker Hughes, Hanwha Power Systems and Hanwha Ocean said the new small-size gas turbine would primarily be used for vessel propulsion systems.
By combining Baker Hughes’ turbine technology and Hanwha’s ammonia combustion system, the firms plan to complete a full engine test with ammonia by the end of 2027, before making 16MW turbines commercially available.
Hanwha has already successfully tested a proof-of-concept combustor with 100% ammonia, while Baker Hughes completed its initial turbine feasibility studies in 2024.
“We believe fuel switching to ammonia will play a key role in achieving significant emissions reductions across these sectors,” said Alessandro Bresciani, Senior Vice-President of Climate Technology Solutions at Baker Hughes.
Ammonia has been positioned as a potential future low-carbon fuel for the shipping industry due to its higher energy density and easier liquid transport options than hydrogen, as well as its existing infrastructure capabilities.
While its direct use as a fuel has been explored, the pathway has faced criticism for the potentially high levels of NOx and unburned fuel emissions
A 2024 Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) study claimed that switching the global shipping fleet to pure ammonia could cause up to 600,000 additional premature deaths each year due to the nitrogen oxide and NOx emissions released when combusted.
Read more:Hydrogen co-combustion with ammonia may mitigate shipping emissions impacts, MIT finds
MIT claimed those particles could be inhaled into the lung, “causing health problems like heart attacks, strokes and asthma.”
The US university suggested that co-combusting ammonia and pure hydrogen could significantly reduce harmful emissions.
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