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NH3SHIELD

SHIELDing steel from NH3 induced corrosion using innovative coatings to enable NH3 fueled marine engines

Project area

Resource procurement (Input)

Fuel production

Refining and upgrading

Storage

Transport

Distribution

Utilisation

Post-treatment and recycling

Safety and standardisation

Systems integration / sector coupling

Community work and stakeholder involvement

Structural frameworks, regulation, and markets

All projects in the MissionGreenFuels project portfolio contribute to the green transition across the green fuels value chain and cross-cutting themes. The highlighted icons indicate the area this project contributes to. Click on the icons to lean more.

Project description

Ammonia (NH3) is promising as a green, carbon-free fuel for shipping, but high-temperature NH3 causes severe corrosion and nitridation of common steel components in marine engines and ammonia crackers. Current solutions require expensive, exotic alloys and do not address the needs of cost-effective, widespread adoption. NH3SHIELD aims to address this critical barrier by developing and validating innovative, protective coatings that allow the use of affordable steel alloys, making green NH3 fueling viable in marine applications.

Project facts

Total budget of the project including co-financing

0 million DKK

Project start

February 2026

Project status

Active

Funding pool

Pool 3 Solutions

Inflection point

Achieving competitiveness

Value chain and theme

Utilisation

Project objectives

Identify coatings for steel that resist nitridation at 600–800°C in NH3, with less than 1% N2 uptake after 100h.

Develop a low-friction coating (<0.5 friction coefficient) with nitridation protection for marine engines.

Establish a method for coating internal component structures.

Demonstrate corrosion resistance of coated engine/cracker components meeting target standards.

Prove a 1 kW NH3 cracker prototype with >95% conversion and <1% nitridation after 100h.

Project partners

Danish Technological Institute

Danish Technological Institute is an independent research and technology organisation that helps companies and society turn knowledge into innovation, growth and sustainable solutions. Since 1906, we have worked to promote technological advances for the benefit of industry and society. Through research, development, consultancy, testing and dissemination, we translate new knowledge into practical solutions and services. We work closely with industry, universities and public authorities across areas such as energy, climate, materials, production, food and life science. A significant part of our work supports the green transition, including green energy, energy efficiency, sustainable fuels and technologies that help reduce climate impact.

Projects

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Impact & outcome

The NH3SHIELD project will enable safe and cost-effective use of ammonia as a green marine fuel by developing protective coatings for steel engine and cracker components, thus overcoming major corrosion challenges. This innovation will reduce material costs by up to 80%, making ammonia-fueled technologies more accessible for large-scale marine applications. By accelerating the adoption of ammonia in shipping, the project directly supports climate targets and the transition to sustainable transport. Enhanced safety and durability of components will promote societal acceptance and industry confidence in ammonia as a green fuel. Overall, NH3SHIELD will facilitate global market integration for Danish and partner technologies.