Hardware to Save a Planet · 30 Oct 2025 · 49m · Episode 90
Anders Korsgaard, Founder and CEO of Blue World Technologies, explains how high-temperature PEM fuel cells convert liquid methanol into electricity with 20–25% improved efficiency over conventional diesel engines. He details the thermodynamic advantages of using waste heat for reforming, the strategic choice of methanol over hydrogen for maritime logistics, and the economic imperative of reducing fuel consumption for shipping giants like Maersk. Korsgaard discusses the challenges of industrializing cell production, securing partnerships to scale manufacturing, and the timeline for retrofitting versus building new vessels.
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Dr. Lynn Loo, CEO of the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD), explains why decarbonizing shipping requires a diverse portfolio of fuels rather than a single solution like sustainable aviation fuel. She details the operational challenges of low-volumetric-energy-density fuels like methanol and ammonia, the regulatory pressure from the IMO’s revised greenhouse gas strategy, and the potential role of onboard carbon capture as an interim measure.
Julio Friedmann, chief scientist at Carbon Direct, explains the potential of low-carbon ammonia as a fuel for decarbonizing shipping, power generation, and heavy industry. He details the current centralized ammonia market, the challenges of producing green ammonia via electrolysis or carbon capture, and the specific interest from Japan, Korea, and Singapore due to their limited renewable and storage options. Friedmann also discusses the safety, toxicity, and infrastructure constraints, as well as emerging technologies like photocatalysis for ammonia cracking.
Alissa Peterson, co-founder and executive director of SeaAhead, discusses the intersection of blue tech and climate tech, focusing on decarbonizing shipping through alternative fuels like ammonia and methanol, and expanding offshore wind innovation beyond turbines to cable protection and biodiversity. She details emerging carbon removal strategies, including sinking kelp and ocean alkalinity enhancement using olivine, while highlighting the critical scientific gaps in measurement, verification, and permanence (MRV). Peterson emphasizes that while permitting is difficult, targeted innovation can mitigate ecosystem impacts, arguing that the sector must avoid the boom-bust cycles of previous clean tech waves by securing rigorous science and sustainable business models.
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