The promise of zero-carbon shipping has been delayed until at least 2026
The Viking Energy, an oil platform supply shipundergoing a pioneering retrofit to run on ammonia fuel, is now scheduled to begin operations in 2026—two years later than initially planned. Once completed, it will be the first vessel capable of operating full-time on ammonia, marking a major milestone in efforts to reduce carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions in the maritime industry. IEEE Spectrum previously reported on ammonia as a potential replacement for petroleum fuels in the shipping industry in 2021, at which time key stakeholders—including Norwegian energy giant Equinor, technology provider Wärtsilä, and shipping company Eidesvik Offshore—expected the Viking Energy to set sail in 2024. However, progress has slowed. Industry experts attribute the delay to the complex infrastructure required to handle ammonia safely. "Ammonia is toxic, explosive, and corrosive. We must use special piping, storage tanks, and trucks outfitted with materials engineered to be both leakproof and resistant to ammonia's corrosive properties," says John Prousalidis, a professor of marine engineering at the National Technical University of Athens. (Equinor, Wärtsilä, and Eidesvik Offshore did not respond to requests for comment.) One of the biggest environmental concerns with ammonia-powered ships is the potential release of nitrogen oxides. "Instead of CO 2 , which contributes to global warming, we could end up with nitrogen oxides, which are lethal to breathe," says Prousalidis. "To avoid simply swapping one pollutant for another, ammonia propulsion systems must include…