Yara Joins a Growing List of Partners for Ammonia Startup Amogy

yara clean ammonia bunkering barge concept illustration — Yara's ammonia bunkering barge concept (Illustration courtesy Yara)

Two-year-old green fuel startup Amogy is having a moment. The company's technology turns energy-dense ammonia into a more user-friendly fuel, hydrogen, which can be used in fuel cells and in properly-equipped engines. Over the course of its short tenure, it has added Amazon, Saudi Aramco and Trafigura to its list of investors and partners. It is working with two maritime clients, Amon Maritime and Southern Devall. And it can now add one of the world's top ammonia proders, Yara, to its growing list.

On Wednesday, Amogy announced a collaboration agreement with Yara Clean Ammonia (YCA), the decarbonization-focused subsidiary of Norwegian manufacturer Yara International ASA. Under the MOU, Yara will consider Amogy’s ammonia-to-power system for use in future shipping projects, like powerpacks for tugs, barges and OSVs. The companies will also work together to deliver packaged solutions for shipowners, with Amogy providing the technology and YCA delivering the ammonia. YCA is already building an ammonia bunkering supply chain in Scandinavia, and its first ammonia bunker barge should be operational in 2024.

“YCA operates a vast global ammonia network and understands the value of the compound as a next-generation fuel to decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors, like shipping. This agreement provides a fantastic opportunity for Amogy to work alongside innovators in this space," said Seonghoon Woo, cofounder and CEO of Amogy.

The two companies also have overlapping personnel. Last month, Amogy hired Yara Clean Ammonia's former business development director, Christian Berg, as its new managing director for Norway. It also signaled its intent to put down roots in the bustling Scandinavian clean-energy market by opening a Stavanger hub office.

Amogy has developed a proprietary cracking technology that converts ammonia (manufactured from hydrogen and nitrogen) back into hydrogen. The company has tested its technology aboard a small drone aircraft, a farm tractor and (coming soon) an ammonia barge operated by Southern Devall. The startup has secured an AIP from LR for a maritime powerpack, and it is focused on scaling up its technology for use in larger applications.

Amogy's largest installed system to date has a power of about 100 kW, and it plans to scale up to 300 kW for an over-the-road truck application by the end of the year. Its goal is to reach 1 MW by 2023 and 10+ MW - enough for oceangoing ships - by 2025.