Navigating the Future of Ammonia Transport : Safely, Efficiently and Sustainably

CHALLENGES

In a time of rapid industrial progress and heightened focus on safety and environmental protection, ARISE addresses the crucial challenges linked to the rising demand and transportation of ammonia. Our mission is to safeguard public health, protect marine and port workers, and promote environmental sustainability in ammonia logistics and usage, contributing to the broader goals of global decarbonization and sustainable development.

Growing Demand for Ammonia

Ammonia, currently the second most produced chemical worldwide, is witnessing a rapid increase in demand. Beyond its traditional use in fertilizers, ammonia is poised to become a key player in marine fuel, electricity production, and as a hydrogen carrier, this growth supports the IMO's decarbonization targets. However, this increased usage requires sustainable production from clean hydrogen sources and a thorough reexamination of its logistics and transportation to ensure safety and environmental stewardship.

Environmental & Safety Risks

The anticipated increase in ammonia transportation, especially by sea, introduces significant environmental and safety challenges. New shipping routes and additional cargo vessels raise the risk profile of port infrastructures and maritime environments, necessitating a comprehensive understanding of ammonia's behavior in case of accidental releases.

Inadequate Understanding of Ammonia Spills

While ammonia's behavior on land is well-documented, there is a substantial gap in understanding its behavior upon release in a maritime environment. Historical experiments have not sufficiently addressed the complexities of ammonia-water interactions, leading to uncertainties in risk assessments and mitigation strategies.

Need for Improve Consequence Modelling

Current consequence modelling tools are inadequate for predicting the outcomes of ammonia spills on water. Factors such as ammonia's absorption into water, aerosol generation, and the behavior of the resulting toxic cloud are not well understood. This gap hinders the development of effective safety measures and response strategies.

ARISE aims to fill the knowledge gaps by conducting experiments, thereby enhancing the quality and consistency of risk assessments. This initiative will support the maritime sector and regulators in safely deploying ammonia as a clean energy vector, accelerating the hydrogen economy's growth.

Goal: Acquire essential data to improve the accuracy and reliability of consequence models for both air and water dispersion of ammonia.

Approach: Conduct large-scale experiments to collect data on ammonia’s behavior when spilled on water. Focus on critical parameters such as absorption rates, heat generation, aerosol formation, and cloud dispersion patterns. Use this data to refine existing models and develop new predictive tools.
Goal: Develop and implement detailed protocols for conducting large-scale ammonia release experiments in sea environments.

Approach: Define specific parameters and conditions under which the experiments will be conducted to ensure data consistency and reliability. This includes varying spill amounts, temperatures, and release angles to simulate different accidental scenarios.
Goal: Investigate and identify the most effective strategies for detecting and managing ammonia spills by proposing potential mitigation solutions based on a thorough understanding of spill behavior.

Approach: During the ARISE project, we will:

Deploy and Assess Detection Systems: Implement various types of sensors and detection technologies in real-world conditions to monitor and measure ammonia spills accurately.

Analyze and Understand Spill Behavior: Conduct detailed analyses of the experimental data to gain a comprehensive understanding of how ammonia behaves when spilled in maritime environments.

Propose Mitigation Strategies: Based on the insights gained from the experiments, we will hold discussions and workshops with experts and stakeholders to propose effective mitigation approaches. These sessions will explore different techniques and solutions aimed at minimizing the impact of ammonia spills on both the environment and public safety.

OBJECTIVES

ACTIVITIES

Experimental Trials at Sea

One of the core activities of ARISE is conducting extensive field experiments to study the behavior of ammonia spills in marine environments. This involves developing detailed protocols for ammonia release experiments and performing releases of cold liquid ammonia in controlled sea conditions. By monitoring and recording data on absorption rates, aerosol formation, and cloud dispersion, we aim to gain critical insights into the interactions between ammonia and water.

Data Collection and Analysis

Gathering critical data is essential for enhancing consequence modelling tools. Advanced sensors and detection technologies will be utilized to capture real-time data during experiments. The collected data will be analyzed to understand the complex interactions between ammonia and water, including heat generation and aerosol dynamics. This analysis will help identify gaps in existing models and areas for improvement.

Modelling and Simulation Enhancements

Improving the accuracy and reliability of consequence models for ammonia spills is another key activity. We will integrate experimental data into existing modelling tools and develop new simulation algorithms to better predict ammonia behavior in maritime spills. Through iterative testing and comparison with field data, we aim to validate and refine these models.

Mitigation Strategies and Solutions

ARISE will focus on understanding ammonia spill behavior to propose effective mitigation strategies. The project will conduct extensive trials to analyze how ammonia disperses in maritime environments and assess various detection technologies for their efficiency in identifying spills. Following the experiments, ARISE will organize workshops and discussions with industry experts to develop practical mitigation solutions. The insights gained will be used to create comprehensive guidelines for applying these strategies in real-world scenarios, enhancing the maritime industry's ability to manage and mitigate the impact of ammonia spills effectively.

Welcome to ARISE, where we champion the safety of maritime transport and protect communities and ecosystems. Our mission is to advance ammonia transport technologies while ensuring the highest standards of safety for seafarers, emergency responders, and the public, all in alignment with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals and the decarbonization targets of the International Maritime Organization.