- Christian W. Berg, former Director at Yara Clean Ammonia, joins Amogy to lead the company’s Scandinavian headquarters in Stavanger, Norway
- With its advanced ammonia infrastructure and ardent commitment to decarbonizing global shipping, Norway provides abundant opportunity for commercialization of Amogy’s ammonia-to-power technology.
Amogy a pioneer of emission-free, energy-dense ammonia power solutions, announced today the opening of its Norway operations with the hiring of Christian W. Berg, Managing Director, Amogy Norway. Mr. Berg joins Amogy Norway from his most recent position as Director of Business Development for Yara Clean Ammonia, a decarbonization-focused subsidiary of leading global ammonia producer, Yara International ASA.
An innovative and results-driven leader with experience developing renewable fuels for the shipping industry, Mr. Berg will be tasked with accelerating Amogy’s effort in commercializing its ammonia-to-power technology with partners in the Scandinavian countries. Norway, known as a renewable energy and global shipping leader, has the advanced infrastructure necessary to make ammonia a viable fuel source for cargo ships as well as an ecosystem that presents strategic commercial partnership opportunities for Amogy.
“Norway and its forward-thinking maritime industry recognized the immense opportunity that ammonia presents as a green fuel, which gave the country a head start in establishing the needed infrastructure, so it only makes sense for Amogy to establish a significant presence here,” said, Seonghoon Woo, CEO of Amogy. “With Christian W. Berg, who has significant experience in accelerating the transition to ammonia, Amogy will have the immediate on-the-ground presence we need as we connect with potential partners and build our operations in the country.”
Through extensive public and private collaboration, Norway is driving the green energy transition and is already developing ammonia refueling stations for ships, or “bunkering locations.” In February 2021, it was also announced that the country would house Europe’s first large-scale green ammonia project, making it an ideal second home for Amogy.
The Company will establish its Norwegian headquarters in Stavanger, a city with a rich and active history in the oil and shipping industries that has transformed into a regional center for renewable energy production and innovation. Amogy will also open a satellite office in Stord, co-located with the Maritime Cleantech (MCT) cluster headquarters office and the Catapult Centre Sustainable Energy test center. Amogy is a member of MCT and is evaluating projects to test in Stord, where its zero-emission shipping technology would be tested in simulated real-life conditions alongside other advanced sustainable energy technologies.
Mr. Berg is a trailblazer whose understanding of ammonia as a next-generation sustainable fuel has enabled the development of clean ammonia infrastructure in Norway and around the world. Throughout his entire career working for and leading shipping companies developing newbuild vessel on alternatives fuels, Mr. Berg brings both regional and subject matter expertise to Amogy that will be monumental in meeting the company’s goal in decarbonizing long-haul transportation.
“Amogy, far-and-away, has the most advanced technology when it comes to commercializing a system that will make green ammonia the optimal and preferred energy solution for long-haul shipping vessels.” said Mr. Berg. “My thorough understanding of ammonia and just how viable a solution it is for ships, in addition to my knowledge of the Norwegian market, will allow Amogy to lead in establishing much-needed pilots for the energy transition and rapidly accelerate the commercialization of our ammonia-to-power system. Norway will be a blueprint for further showcasing the impacts of these technologies around the world.”
Worldwide, transportation accounts for approximately a quarter of global carbon emissions, which is why Amogy, with its ammonia-to-power technology, aims to reduce more than five billion metric tons of CO2-equivalent emissions by 2040, accelerating the global journey towards Net Zero 2050. Beyond high energy density, ammonia has several key advantages that make it a suitable choice for ocean-going vessels and smaller ships. Ammonia is already a globally traded commodity, with 20 million tons of the chemical shipped each year. The presence of existing ammonia transportation and storage infrastructure also provides a ready foundation for a future zero-carbon fuel value chain in shipping. Further, Norway is pioneering production of zero emissions, renewable-generated green ammonia, which is essential for ammonia’s potential as a clean fuel.
Following recent successes with technology demonstrations and fundraising, Amogy is in the process of scaling its technology to decarbonize cargo ships and other heavy-duty transportation systems, some of the largest emitters of greenhouse gasses. The company will also pursue strategic partnerships in the region to further these efforts, including a recent MOU signed with Amon Maritime, an ammonia-powered shipping and technology company, to create competitive, full-scale, carbon free transportation solutions. Amogy’s executive and R&D facility will continue to operate out of its Brooklyn headquarters while additional business development and operations teams will be established in Norway.
