Fuel-Flexible Ship Retrofits

Blaze Energy has closed on its new $6.5 million seed round, led by Propeller Ventures and Catalyzer Ventures, to bring fuel flexibility to existing ship engines. Its Flex-Fuel Reformer System converts fuels such as ammonia and methanol into a hydrogen-rich mixture onboard, enabling conventional engines to burn them with diesel-like combustion.

The funding will support a 2027 pilot aboard a Lomar Shipping vessel, marine engine testing in Norway, and expanded operations in the U.S. and Norway, ahead of a newbuild product launch in 2028. Blaze estimates its system delivers the fuel transition at about 20 times lower cost.

As owners face emissions pressure without a clear fuel winner, Blaze's retrofit approach signals that fuel reforming could let existing vessels adopt cleaner fuels without costly replacement, while preserving the value of long-lived assets.