South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean and Hanwha Power Systems have formed a partnership with energy technology firm Baker Hughes to design and develop a new small-size ammonia gas turbine, with an aim to achieve carbon-free ship operations.
The partnership was formalized through a joint development and collaboration agreement (JDCA) which will focus on producing a small-size turbine for ammonia applications, leveraging Baker Hughes’ gas turbine technology and Hanwha’s ammonia combustion system.
As explained, the gas turbine will be capable of 100% ammonia combustion and dual fuel operation with a natural gas and ammonia blend. It is expected to be a “game-changing technology” for large ship owners, enabling a completely carbon-free mode of propulsion.
According to Baker Hughes, the new turbine will be suitable for marine applications, onshore and offshore applications as well as electric generation and mechanical drive.
The South Korean shipbuilder has already tested a proof-of-concept of the combustor, with 100% ammonia as the fuel gas, and Baker Hughes completed its initial turbine feasibility studies in 2024.
The two companies target to complete the full engine test with ammonia by the end of 2027, after which the turbine with approximately 16 MW power range will be commercially available for orders.
Under the agreement, Hanwha Ocean will adopt the new solution as a propulsion system for its future vessels.
In September 2023, the shipbuilder received approval in principle (AiP) from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) to apply ammonia gas turbines to LNG carriers.
In September 2024, Hanwha Power Systems signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Greek LNG shipping services provider GasLog to convert the shipowner’s propulsion system to an ammonia gas turbine-based system.
“Decarbonizing hard-to-abate industries and transportation is one of the most pressing but high-potential opportunities of our time,” said Alessandro Bresciani , Senior Vice President of Climate Technology Solutions at Baker Hughes.
“We believe fuel switching to ammonia will play a key role in achieving significant emissions reductions across these sectors, and to realize this ambition, the industry needs more partnerships such as this. Together, we will continue to lead by example and take energy forward.”
James Shon , Senior Executive Vice President and Head of Product Strategy and Technology at Hanwha Ocean, added that the collaboration marks “a significant turning point in accelerating the transition to low-carbon fuel propulsion in the global maritime industries “.
Baker Hughes is exploring how its small-size gas turbines can accelerate the transition from diesel motors to turbines powered by ammonia and hydrogen. Back in January 2024, the company completed testing of the “world’s first 100% hydrogen turbine” .