Hanwha Ocean is teaming up with Baker Hughes to develop ammonia-powered turbines for ships, marking a key step in maritime decarbonization efforts. The South Korean shipbuilder aims to deploy the technology in commercial vessels by 2028.
The partnership, announced at Baker Hughes’ annual meeting in Florence, combines the U.S. energy firm’s turbine expertise with ammonia combustion systems from Hanwha’s subsidiary PSM. The collaboration follows successful initial testing of ammonia combustion in 2024 and preliminary design approvals from the American Bureau of Shipping.
Hanwha’s marine division said the turbines will be capable of running entirely on ammonia or a blend with natural gas. The technology could help shipping companies meet tightening environmental regulations as the industry faces pressure to cut emissions.
An unnamed European LNG carrier operator has already shown interest, signing an agreement to explore retrofitting its fleet with the new propulsion system. This follows Hanwha’s announcement at Davos of plans to create the first fossil-free vessels.
The development timeline targets LNG carriers and container ships, though technical and cost hurdles remain in scaling up ammonia as a marine fuel. Industry experts note that widespread adoption will depend on building out supply infrastructure and proving the technology’s reliability.
