World

Tugboat powered by ammonia sails for the first time, showing how to cut emissions from shipping

Published

1 hour ago

2024-09-23

Kingston, New York – On a tributary of the Hudson River, an ammonia-powered tugboat eased away from the shipyard dock and sailed for the first time to demonstrate how the maritime industry may reduce carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to global warming.

The tugboat used to run on diesel. Amogy, a New York-based business, bought the 67-year-old ship to convert it to cleanly produced ammonia, a new, carbon-free fuel.

The tugboat’s inaugural sail on Sunday night marks a significant milestone in the battle to build zero-emission propulsion using renewable fuels. Shipping emissions have climbed over the previous decade, reaching approximately 3% of the global total, according to the United Nations, as vessels have grown in size, transporting more cargo every trip and using massive amounts of fuel oil.

Tugboat powered by ammonia sails for the first time, showing how to cut emissions from shipping

CEO Seonghoon Woo stated that he founded Amogy with three friends to help the world address a major concern: the global economy’s backbone has yet to switch to renewable energy.

“Without solving the problem, it’s not going to be possible to make the planet sustainable,” stated Mr. Obama. “I do not believe this is the problem of the future generation. “This is a huge issue for our generation.”

The pals met while attending the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they spent their free time brainstorming ways to power huge industries cleanly. They started their business in November 2020 in a modest room at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The name Amogy is derived from the phrases ammonia and energy.

They hunted for a boat and discovered the tug at the Feeney Shipyard in Kingston, New York, where it was sitting idle. It could shatter ice, but little to no ice had developed on that stretch of the Hudson River in previous years, therefore it was available for purchase.

“It represents how serious the problem is when it comes to climate change,” Woo told the crowd. The venture, according to him, is “not just demonstrating our technology, it’s really going to be telling the story to the world that we have to fix this problem sooner than later.”

They christened the tugboat NH3 Kraken after ammonia’s chemical formula and their way of “cracking” it into hydrogen and nitrogen. Amogy’s method converts ammonia to hydrogen for a fuel cell, transforming the tug into an electric-powered ship. The International Maritime Organisation has set a target for international shipping to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by or around 2050.

According to the Global Maritime Forum, a nonprofit that works closely with the industry, shipping emissions must be reduced quickly, and there are currently no readily available methods to decarbonise deep-sea shipping. Ammonia is a popular alternative fuel since it contains no carbon, according to Jesse Fahnestock, who leads the forum’s decarbonization efforts.

Ammonia is frequently used as a fertiliser, therefore there is already infrastructure in place to handle and transport it. Tonne for tonne, has more energy capacity than hydrogen and is easier to store and transport.

“It certainly has the potential to be a main or even the main fuel,” according to Fahnestock. “It has a potentially very friendly greenhouse gas footprint.”

Ammonia has downsides. It’s toxic. Currently, nearly all of it is produced using natural gas in an environmentally destructive process. Burning it requires precise engineering or it will emit traces of a potent greenhouse gas.

Amogy’s technology differs.

The tugboat ran on green ammonia generated by renewable electricity. The original gasoline tank space can accommodate a 2,000-gallon tank for a 10- to 12-hour day at sea.

It separates liquid ammonia into hydrogen and nitrogen, then feeds the hydrogen into a fuel cell, which creates energy for the vessel with no carbon emissions. Because the mechanism does not burn ammonia like a combustion engine, the emissions are predominantly nitrogen and water. The corporation claims there are trace quantities of nitrogen oxides that it is attempting to totally eradicate.

Amogy employed ammonia to power a drone in 2021, then a tractor in 2022, a semi-truck in 2023, and now a tugboat to demonstrate the technology. Woo stated that their system is intended for usage on vessels ranging in size from tugboats to cargo ships, and that it may also generate power on land to replace diesel generators in data centres, mining and construction, and other heavy industries.

The company has raised approximately $220 million. Amazon, a company with significant delivery needs, is among the investors. Nick Ellis, principal of Amazon’s $2 billion Climate Pledge Fund, stated that the business is delighted and impressed by Amogy’s efforts. By investing, Amazon can demonstrate to ship owners and builders that it wants its goods transported with zero emissions, he explained.

Tugboat powered by ammonia sails for the first time, showing how to cut emissions from shipping

“Many folks will now get a chance to see and understand how real and promising this technology is, and that it could actually be in container ships or tugboats in a matter of a few years,” he told reporters. “If you had asked five years ago, I believe many people would have thrown up their hands… And now we have a compelling example that is also financially practical. These types of things don’t happen every day.”

As a following step, Amogy is collaborating with major shipbuilders to introduce ammonia power to the maritime industry. Hanwha Ocean, a South Korean shipyard, is obtaining its technologies. HD Hyundai and Samsung Heavy Industries are collaborating with Amogy on ship design.

According to Sangmin Park, because Amogy has made substantial headway in demonstrating ammonia’s promise as a clean fuel, “we expect the industry to move towards adoption more quickly.” Park is senior vice president of HD Hyundai’s subsidiary HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering.

“For the past few years, the industry has recognised the potential of ammonia as a zero-carbon fuel,” Park noted via email, “but actually building and sailing the first vessel is a true landmark event.”

SOURCE | AP

World

Ukraine Bans Telegram Messenger App On State-Issued Devices Because Of Russian Security Threat

Published

2 days ago

2024-09-21

Kiara Grace

Kyiv, Ukraine — Ukraine has barred government officials, military personnel, and other defense and vital infrastructure workers from installing the popular Telegram messaging software on state-issued devices, citing national security concerns during the war with Russia.

Ukraine’s National Cybersecurity Coordination Centre announced the ban on official devices used by government employees, military personnel, security and defense workers, and critical infrastructure staff. The restriction was issued on Friday by Ukraine’s Security and Defence Council via Facebook.

Ukraine Bans Telegram Messenger App On State-Issued Devices Because Of Russian Security Threat

During a conference on Thursday, the Ukrainian Security Service and the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine stated that Russia actively uses Telegram for cyberattacks, phishing, malware distribution, user position tracking, and missile strike calibration.

People who use the app for official purposes will be granted an exemption from the prohibition. Ukrainians are free to use the software on their own devices.

In Ukraine, the app is frequently used for both texting and reading news, including updates on Russian air attacks. It is also the major way Ukrainian leaders, including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, communicate with the people and report on military developments. Zelenskyy is likely to continue using Telegram for public communications because it is his official channel.

Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraine’s intelligence chief, stated that Russian intelligence services had access to app users’ messages, including deleted messages, as well as their personal data.

Ukraine Bans Telegram Messenger App On State-Issued Devices Because Of Russian Security Threat

“I have always advocated and continue to advocate for freedom of speech, but the issue of Telegram is not a matter of freedom of speech; it is a matter of national security,” said Budanov, according to the statement.

SOURCE | AP

World

Putin Expands Military After West Approves Long Range Missile Strikes

Published

6 days ago

2024-09-17

Geoff Thomas

Putin increases army size for third time since 2022

Putin has expanded the army's ranks since sending his military into Ukraine in February 2022 - Reuters Image

President Vladimir Putin expanded the regular size of the Russian army by 180,000 troops to 1.5 million active troops on Monday, citing NATO claims that Ukraine can use its long-range missiles to strike deep within Russia.

President Putin ordered that the overall number of the armed forces be boosted to 2.38 million individuals, with 1.5 million active military members.

According to data from the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), a renowned US military think tank, such an increase in military personnel would propel Russia over the United States and India in terms of active combat soldiers.

The move, the third time Putin has increased the army’s size since sending troops into Ukraine in February 2022, comes as Russian soldiers press forward in eastern Ukraine on parts of a massive 1,000-kilometer (627-mile) frontline and attempt to expel Ukrainian forces from Russia’s Kursk area.

The action comes after outgoing NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said he welcomed negotiations on Ukraine’s use of long-range missiles to strike within Russian territory, but that any decision on the matter would be made by individual countries.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to speak in Washington, D.C. – Reuters Image

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been lobbying with friends for months to allow Ukraine to launch Western missiles, including long-range US ATACMS and British Storm Shadows, deep into Russia, limiting Moscow’s ability to conduct attacks.

Last week, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and US President Joe Biden discussed whether to authorise Kyiv to employ the long-range missiles against Russian targets in Washington. There was no announcement about the decision.

According to reports, Starmer supports allowing Ukraine to employ long-range missiles, whilst Biden is concerned that allowing such strikes could lead to a direct confrontation between NATO and Russia.

However, some US officials are doubtful that enabling the use of such missiles would significantly improve Kyiv’s defence against Russian invaders.

Trudeau has stressed that Ukraine should be allowed to launch strikes on targets deep into Russia – Getty Images

Analysts believe that if the West allows Ukraine to use its long-range missiles to hit Russia, Putin may retaliate by striking British military assets near Russia or, in the worst-case scenario, conducting a nuclear test to demonstrate intent.

Ulrich Kuehn, an armaments specialist at the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy in Hamburg, said he did not rule out Putin sending a nuclear message, such as testing a nuclear bomb in an attempt to intimidate the West.

Meanwhile, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday that Ukraine should be permitted to strike within Russian territory, as his American and British counterparts met in Washington to consider lifting restrictions on long-range weapons provided to Kyiv.

Putin warned that permitting Ukraine to employ long-range weaponry provided by NATO would mean that NATO countries, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and European countries, were at war with Russia.

Many Canadians were upset by Trudeau’s statements, feeling that he and NATO were driving Canada closer to nuclear war with Russia.

Putin Says US Long-Range Missiles Hitting Russia an Act of War

Putin Says US Long-Range Missiles Hitting Russia an Act of War

World

Germany Begins Conducting Checks At All Its Land Borders

Published

7 days ago

2024-09-16

Kiara Grace

Köhl, Germany — Germany began random checks at its crossings with five Western European countries on Monday to combat irregular migration, adding to a system of mobile border controls that is already in place at four other frontiers.

The border checks with France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Denmark began before sunrise Monday and are expected to last six months. Germany has already conducted border inspections with Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, and Switzerland since last year.

Germany Begins Conducting Checks At All Its Land Borders

Germany, a member of the 27-member European Union, stated last week that it would expand border inspections to all nine of its land borders this week in an effort to combat irregular migration and crime in the wake of recent extremist attacks. Three people were killed in a knife assault in Solingen last month, which was blamed on a Syrian asylum seeker. The suspect claimed to be inspired by the Islamic State. In June, a knife attack linked to an Afghan immigrant killed a police officer and injured four other persons.

Border controls are putting European unity to the test, as some perceive them as a departure from the spirit of the EU’s Schengen free travel and commerce agreement. One of the most valued benefits of the EU is the ability for Europeans to freely travel across borders for jobs and pleasure.

Germany, the EU’s largest country, is positioned in the heart of Europe and shares borders with more countries than any other EU member. Some trade unions have expressed worry that the curbs may harm trade.

However, a return to a previous system with closed borders and mandated border inspections for all crossings seems unlikely.

Nonetheless, German police believe the expanded checks represent a significant challenge to them.

Andreas Rosskopf, the leader of Germany’s Federal Police Union, stated that everybody crossing the border into Germany should now expect to be inspected. However, he noted that due to the length of the country’s boundaries, authorities will not be able to stop and check every car.

He pointed out that Germany has 1,400 kilometers (870 miles) on its western border, in addition to the 2,400 kilometers (1,490 miles) along its eastern and southern borders, where inspections are already in place.

He stated in an interview with RBB24 Info radio that “given the length of the border, permanent and intensive checks are not possible.” According to him, “it remains to be seen how successful it will be in curbing migration and people smuggling.”

Germany Begins Conducting Checks At All Its Land Borders

According to the EU, member states may temporarily restore controls at the EU’s so-called internal borders in the event of a major threat to internal security. However, it also states that border controls should be used as a last resort in extraordinary circumstances and must be time-restricted.

Such limitations are frequently imposed at large sporting events, such as the recent Olympic Games in Paris and the European Football Championship.

The unpopular coalition administration of Chancellor Olaf Scholz has tightened border controls to crack down on irregular immigration after the far right performed well in two recent state elections in eastern Germany. Another is coming next Sunday in Brandenburg, the state that surrounds Berlin.

SOURCE | AP