The Danish shipping company Maersk Tankers is considering incorporating dual-fuel engines capable of using ammonia into its new fleet of large gas carriers, known as VLACs (Very Large Ammonia Carriers). The initiative will be developed through the RIPPLE project, which has been provisionally selected by the European Commission to receive funding from the European Union Innovation Fund, although its implementation will depend on the grant being finalized and on the commercial commitments the company secures.
The project initially envisages converting four vessels designed to transport ammonia by installing two-stroke, dual-fuel engines that will enable the same substance to be used as propulsion fuel. The initiative is among those selected by Brussels in the 2025 call for proposals under the European Net-Zero Technologies program.
According to documentation published by the European Commission on October 19, RIPPLE is coordinated by the Danish company Ammonia Carriers A/S and plans to carry out the technical modifications in Denmark. The initiative aims, among other things, to develop the first conversion of a large VLAC gas carrier to ammonia dual-fuel propulsion within the European Union and to assess the commercial viability of using it in this segment of maritime transport.
The estimates included in the project envisage a reduction of more than 1.2 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent over ten years of operation through the use of the ammonia carried by the vessels themselves as propulsion fuel. This projection reflects the project's objectives and is contingent on its implementation.
Maersk Tankers has confirmed that the European selection concerns its plans to convert its new fleet of VLAC gas carriers, comprising ten vessels that will join its operations. The company is considering using ammonia as fuel in these vessels, although it has not yet made a final decision on whether to carry out all the modifications.
In its official announcement, the shipping company clarified that the modifications will depend on securing commercial commitments from its customers. Accordingly, the introduction of the new propulsion systems will depend both on funding conditions and on the commercial agreements required to carry out the operations.
The selection of the RIPPLE project is part of an Innovation Fund call for proposals in which the European Commission selected 77 net-zero technology initiatives across 23 countries in the European Economic Area, with a total of €3.4 billion in planned funding.
The selected projects cover a range of industrial activities, including maritime transport, clean technology manufacturing, alternative fuels, energy storage, and industrial carbon management. The program uses proceeds from the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) to fund decarbonization projects.
The European Commission has invited the promoters of the selected initiatives to begin preparing the corresponding grant agreements with the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA).
During this phase, the amounts allocated to each project, budgets, implementation schedules, legal obligations, and technical and financial objectives will be finalized. The Commission expects to announce the results of this process in the first quarter of 2027, so RIPPLE's selection does not yet constitute the final award of the requested funds.
