KR, Hanwha Ocean, Amogy and Hanwha Aerospace team up for application of ammonia reformers and ammonia fuel cell systems to ships

KR has announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hanwha Ocean, Amogy, and Hanwha Aerospace. The MoU, signed at Posidonia 2024 in Athens, Greece, focuses on the technical collaboration and certification for the application of ammonia reformers and ammonia fuel cell systems to ships. The ammonia reformers, used to produce gas with hydrogen as the main component and supply it to fuel cell stacks, are essential equipment for the adoption of fuel cell systems.

Amid the increasing global decarbonization regulations, ammonia is emerging as a highly efficient alternative fuel. This agreement aims to apply reformers and fuel cell systems to ships, enhancing energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions, thereby lessening the environmental burden.

The MoU encompasses collaboration across various technological areas related to the application of reformers and fuel cell systems in ships. This includes design, development, testing, and certification of ammonia reformers and fuel cell systems. Ultimately, the safety and suitability of these systems will be verified based on KR’s rules, international conventions and standards, with KR planning to issue a New Technical Qualification (NTQ) certificate.

KIM Hyoungseog, Executive Vice President and CTO at Hanwha Ocean, stated, "This agreement will strengthen Hanwha Ocean's competitiveness in the eco-friendly ship market. We will continue to take a leading role in developing crucial new technologies for carbon neutrality in the shipping industry."

Amogy's CEO, WOO Seonghoon, expressed his delight, stating, "This agreement brings us one step closer to the commercialization of eco-friendly ships using Amogy's ammonia-based fuel cell systems. I believe multi-party collaboration is vital for the decarbonization of the shipping industry, and we will continue to do our best to ensure the safe introduction of ammonia and ammonia-based fuel cell systems into the ship market."

Moon Seunghak, Head of E-Propulsion System Business Group at Hanwha Aerospace, commented, "The introduction of ammonia-based fuel cell systems is essential for the decarbonization of the shipping industry. We expect to maximize synergy through the cooperation of the four companies. This technological development will play a key role in establishing a carbon-neutral ecosystem in the ship transportation market."

YEON Kyujin, Senior Vice President of KR, added, "This agreement will be an important milestone in applying ammonia technology to ships. KR will continue to drive the decarbonization of the maritime industry, by providing technical support to ensure that reformers and fuel cell systems can be safely applied to ships."