GPS and GES merge to develop the next generation of energy storage assets

Low carbon energy storage company

GES and independent storage and logistics company GPS have announced they have combined both businesses to create a major player in the energy storage sector.

The combined business will take on the name Global Energy Storage Group (GES) and the merger further strengthens GES’ position in the market. This merged company will explore substantial growth opportunities across all markets internationally.

The new structure is being created to put greater focus on the development of the next generation of energy storage assets. This will help facilitate the growing use of low carbon energies, with an emphasis on cryogenic storage for products such as LPG, LNG and ammonia, which is a promising hydrogen carrier. In addition, biofuels and logistics solutions for the transhipment of CO2 are being pursued.

The new GES group will feature the following four storage assets, with additional business and project developments being pursued globally:

• Port of Rotterdam - Europe's main port where GES is pursuing the development of storage and logistics infrastructure designed to facilitate energy transition.

• Port of Amsterdam - Substantial hydrocarbon and biofuels storage capacity, supported by a rail link giving access to continental Europe.

• Port Hamriyah - A recently completed storage facility for fuels and petrochemicals located in the Hamriyah Free Zone in Sharjah, UAE.

• Port Klang in Malaysia - Southeast Asia’s largest independent LPG storage terminal, commissioned in May 2022, with refrigerated storage and VLGC capability.

The corporate management team will consist of: Eric Arnold as Chairman of GES, Peter Vucins as Group CEO, Alan Hyslop as CFO and Mark Synnott as Chief Technical Officer. Combined, the group will have over 140 employees.

The latest company and industry related developments from the sea and air world

WinGD and CMB.TECH co-develop large ammonia-fuelled engines

Swiss marine power company WinGD and Belgian shipping and cleantech group CMB.TECH have signed an agreement on the development of ammoniafuelled two-stroke engines. The companies aim to install the ammonia dual-fuel X72DF engine on a series of 10 x 210,000DWT bulk carriers to be built at a Chinese shipyard in 2025 and 2026.

Under this joint development project, CMB.TECH will support WinGD in establishing its ammonia-fuelled engine concept for a large bore engine. CMB.TECH has significant insight into alternative fuels, and it builds, designs, owns and operates large marine and industrial applications that run on hydrogen and ammonia.

The large bulk carriers powered by WinGD’s ammonia engines will be the first of their kind and proof that large sea-going vessels can be powered by zero-carbon fuels.

“We believe that ammonia is the most promising zero-carbon fuel for deep sea vessels,” said Alexander Saverys, CEO at CMB. “Our intention is to have dual-fuel ammonia-diesel engines on our dry bulk vessels, container vessels and chemical tankers. Collaborating with WinGD on the development of the first ammonia-fuelled two-stroke engines for our fleet is a pioneering partnership on the road to zero emissions in shipping.”

The development project with CMB.TECH is one of several projects WinGD is carrying out with shipowners and engine builders to ensure that dual-fuel ammonia two-stroke engines will be available as the global fleet prepares to adopt green fuels to meet longterm decarbonisation targets. n