The Viking Energy, a pioneering oil platform supply ship retrofitting to run on ammonia for reduced CO2 emissions, faces a delayed operation start in 2026, two years later than planned. The complex infrastructure for handling ammonia safely, given its toxic, explosive, and corrosive nature, has slowed down progress. Despite challenges, experts believe in the potential of ammonia as a mainstream maritime fuel in the future. Unique emissions-control technologies are being developed to mitigate nitrogen oxide concerns. Ammonia-based fuel cells are seen as a promising alternative to combustion engines. As industry milestones are achieved, a gradual transition to ammonia or hydrogen as maritime fuels is anticipated in a timeframe similar to past fuel transitions.
https://spectrum.ieee.org/ammonia-fuel-2671266100