A Comparison of hydrogen and ammonia for future long distance shipping fuels
Charles John McKinlay, Stephen R. Turnock, Dominic A. Hudson
Abstract
Decarbonisation of the shipping industry is necessary. Two potential low-emission fuels for long distance international shipping are hydrogen (H2) and ammonia (NH3). Using data from an LNG tanker, approximations were made for energy requirements based on delivered power, with the maximum consumption for a single voyage being 9270 MWh. Calculations were made for the required volume, mass and variable cost for several fuel types. Results showed that H2 required volume was 6550 m3 and 11040 m3 for liquid and pressurised gas storage respectively. H2 is frequently dismissed for mobile applications due to low volumetric density, however these volumes are not unrealistic. Ammonia has several desirable characteristics, but also has low gravitational energy density increasing the overall ship mass by 0.3% to 3.7%, negatively affecting performance. Batteries are too large, heavy and expensive for long distance applications. Both hydrogen and ammonia have potential, but require further research before becoming viable.