Enova grants USD 113m for hydrogen and ammonia-fuelled vessels

Norwegian state-run enterprise Enova SF this week awarded over NOK 1.2 billion (USD 113m/EUR 106m) in funding to more than a dozen projects for the delivery of hydrogen and ammonia-fuelled vessels.

The winning applications came from the companies Hoegh Autoliners, Amon Gas, Maris Fiducia, More Sjo, Napier and Halten Bulk and concern a total of nine hydrogen and six ammonia vessels. By providing financial support for these projects, Enova is helping establish demand for the fuels, CEO Nils Kristian Nakstad said in a statement.

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In particular, Amon Gas, which is a new venture of Amon Maritime AS, has secured a NOK-180-million investment grant to build ammonia-powered medium gas carriers (MGCs). The company said it targets a shipbuilding series starting with two firm orders of ammonia-powered MGCs that should be in operation by 2028. They will be designed to use ammonia as a fuel for both propulsion and power consumption.

At the same time, Hoegh Autoliners was awarded an additional NOK 109.4 million to make sure that four of its 12 Aurora Class vessels can run fully on ammonia when they are delivered in 2027. Earlier this year, the company got an initial NOK 146 million from Enova to convert two vessels. It expects the ammonia engine technology to be ready in 2026.

Applications for the next round of Enova’s support programmes for hydrogen and ammonia-fuelled vessels will be accepted until September 27, 2024.

(NOK 1.0 = USD 0.946/EUR 0.885)