Business Finland has awarded €2.3 million in R&D funding to Elomatic Oy’s project development company Green NortH2 Energy. With the loan, the Finland-based company is developing a green hydrogen and ammonia production concept.

Green NortH2 Energy intends to set up the first green ammonia production plant in Naantali. Green NortH2 Energy will produce green hydrogen via electrolysis using renewable electricity. This will create a significant reduction in emissions.

Green NortH2 Energy was established in 2021, when Elomatic engineers innovated new business in the Naantali refinery area. As a result, Elomatic Oy, a Finnish consulting and engineering firm, decided to establish a green hydrogen development company. At the end of 2021, Flexens Oy Ab joined as the company’s owner.

In September, Green NortH2 Energy, Meriaura and Wärtsilä signed a Letter of Intent for the building of a cargo vessel that runs on green ammonia. The vessel, equipped with Wärtsilä’s modular multifuel main engines, will be ordered and operated by Meriaura. Green NortH2 Energy is responsible for supplying green ammonia fuel. The delivery of the vessel is targeted for 2024 and it is planned to start operating on green ammonia in 2026.

The vessel is designed to trade in heavy project cargo segment together with Meriaura’s existing open deck carriers. Besides ammonia, it can be powered by bio oil or MDO.

The project is a continuation of the ship development cooperation between Green NortH2 Energy’s parent company Elomatic and Meriaura, which was started to renew lake Saimaa’s traffic. However, Russia’s attack on Ukraine moved the project from Saimaa to the sea.

Elomatic, in cooperation with NYK Line and MTI, has already designed concepts for an “Ammonia-fuel Ready LNG-Fueled Vessel” (ARLFV) car carrier and a post-Panamax bulker.