Tugboat powered by ammonia sails for the first time, showing how to cut emissions from shipping
A tugboat powered by ammonia sailed for the first time Sunday in the Hudson River to show how the maritime industry can slash planet-warming carbon dioxide emissions. (AP Video by Michael Hill)
KINGSTON, N.Y. (AP) — On a tributary of the Hudson River, a tugboat powered by ammonia eased away from the shipyard dock and sailed for the first time to show how the maritime industry can slash planet-warming carbon dioxide emissions.
The tugboat used to run on diesel fuel. The New York-based startup company Amogy bought the 67-year-old ship to switch it to cleanly-made ammonia, a new, carbon-free fuel.
The tugboat’s first sail on Sunday night is a milestone in a race to develop zero-emissions propulsion using renewable fuel. Emissions from shipping have increased over the last decade — to about 3% of the global total according to the United Nations — as vessels have gotten much bigger, delivering more cargo per trip and using immense amounts of fuel oil.
Abigail Jablansky, head of project management, stands in the captain area of the NH3 Kraken, a tugboat powered by ammonia, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in Kingston, N.Y. (AP Photo/Alyssa Goodman)
