In July, Swiss agri-commodity business Ameropa acquired a minority stake in LAST Energy, a clean-tech startup working to decarbonize river and maritime transport through ammonia-powered engine retrofits.
LAST Energy, headquartered between Switzerland and Romania, has been developing retrofit technology that allows conventional diesel engines to run on low carbon ammonia. This innovative approach aims to significantly cut CO₂ emissions in shipping and river transportation; both sectors are under pressure to meet tightening environmental standards set by the European Union and the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
The retrofit system, in development for over three years, has been tested in partnership with Romania’s Universitatea Politehnica Bucharest and COMOTI, the National Research & Development Institute for Gas Turbines. Early results are promising as tests show that using ammonia can reduce diesel consumption by 30–50%, with full potential reaching up to 90% reduction.
The first commercial deployment is planned for later this year, when the retrofit technology will be installed on a barge pusher operating out of Constanța, a key port on the Danube River. LAST Energy is targeting the Danube river-traffic market as its entry point into the shipping sector.
Switching from diesel or gasoil to low-carbon ammonia can have a major impact on emissions. Diesel has a well-to-exhaust carbon footprint of roughly 4 kg of CO₂ per kilogram of fuel. In contrast, low-carbon ammonia (produced via carbon capture or green hydrogen) emits only 0.3 to 0.6 kg of CO₂ per kilogram over its lifecycle. However, it takes two tons of ammonia to replace one ton of diesel, making efficiency and supply chain logistics critical factors for scalability.
Ameropa’s investment brings both capital and technical expertise to the table. With long-standing experience in handling ammonia as part of its global fertilizer operations, the company plans to support LAST Energy through the development phase and beyond. Ameropa also hopes to play a future role in supplying low-carbon ammonia across the region and to other international markets.
This move aligns with a growing industry trend to explore alternative fuels and retrofit solutions rather than wait for entirely new vessel fleets. If successful, the technology could accelerate the shipping industry’s transition toward cleaner, low-emission operations.
