Company debuts ‘World’s First’ ammonia-powered big rig

This week, Amogy Inc. reportedly demonstrated use of “historic” zero-emission ammonia technology to power a Class 8 semi truck.

On January 17, 2023, Amogy announced the successful testing of “the first-ever ammonia-powered, zero-emission semi truck.”

In a demonstration video shared along with the announcement, Amogy showed off a retrofitted 2018 Freightliner Cascadia used during several hours worth of testing on the campus of Stony Brook University in New York following an eight minute long fueling process.

The company says that they’ll pursue full-scale testing of the ammonia-powered truck on a test track later this month.

“This latest successful presentation further proves ammonia to be a viable, sustainable solution for the otherwise hard to abate heavy-duty trucking industries, which account for 23% of the total greenhouse gas emissions from transportation. Decarbonizing heavy-duty trucking has been challenging, with alternatives like battery power lacking the energy density needed to replace diesel for larger vehicles and long-distance routes with minimal downtimes. Amogy’s ammonia-to-power system can enable the industry’s transition away from diesel-powered engines and to alternative fuel-to-power technologies. Unlocking ammonia’s potential, Amogy’s proprietary technology enables the on-board cracking of ammonia into hydrogen, which is then sent directly into a fuel cell to power the vehicle. Liquid ammonia has an energy density that is approximately three times greater than compressed hydrogen and it requires significantly less energy, making it cost-effective to store and transport,” Amogy said in a news release.

Amogy says that they’ve also successfully demonstrated the ammonia-powered technology in a drone and a heavy-duty tractor. The company plans to pursue strategic partnerships across the global shipping and transportation industries with hopes of significantly reducing emissions.

“Beyond its incredible energy-density and liquid phase at an ambient temperature, ammonia is an optimal fuel to achieve rapid decarbonization of heavy transportations because it is available globally with existing infrastructure already in place,” said Seonghoon Woo, Chief Executive Officer at Amogy. “This achievement not only showcases Amogy’s technology as an accessible and scalable solution for trucking, it also highlights the capabilities and dedication of our outstanding team. First it was an ammonia-powered drone, then a tractor and now a truck. In the near future, we look forward to further scaling and tackling other hard-to-abate sectors, such as global shipping.”

Amogy is a sustainable energy startup that was founded in 2020. The company is based in Brooklyn, New York.