Maria Gallucci

Since then, the industry has really coalesced around ammonia as the next dominant shipping fuel.

Chemical companies and investors are spending millions of dollars to build green ammonia plants, and shipbuilders and manufacturers are busy developing the necessary technology.

The first ammonia-powered ships are just around the corner.

So what's so special about this pungent gas?

Well, to start, ammonia doesn't contain any carbon molecules, so it doesn't create carbon dioxide when you use this fuel.

Instead, it contains one part nitrogen, which is a main component of air, and three parts hydrogen, which is a building block of water.

It's possible to make ammonia without using any fossil fuels.

That's what makes it green ammonia.

Think of it like this.

So instead of the oil wells and petroleum refineries that make today's dirty diesel fuels, picture solar panels or wind turbines or hydropower plants.

Renewable electricity is the foundation of this whole ammonia-making ordeal.

We can start with electrolysis, which uses electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen.

Then renewables can power the process that separate nitrogen from air.

And so with our hydrogen and nitrogen, we can combine the two in an industrial process at high temperatures to make NH3, ammonia.

Now, if you want to use this ammonia to power your 1,000-foot long freighter, you have two options.

The first is an internal combustion engine.

So similar to how diesel is used in ships today, but with certain modifications.

Experts think that the first vessels to use ammonia in their engines will be chemical tankers because they already carry it in their cargo holds.

So they'll be like the early adopters.

The next option is to use a fuel cell.