Ammonia bunkering in Jacksonville, USA

By Geofrey Njovu on December 22, 2023

Höegh Autoliners and Sumitomo Corporation

An LNG bunker barge transfers fuel at the Port of Jacksonville, USA. Sumitomo and Höegh Autoliners will explore the supply of ammonia bunker fuel for Höegh’s future car carrier fleet at Jacksonville and Singapore. Source: Port of Jacksonville.
Click to learn more. An LNG bunker barge transfers fuel at the Port of Jacksonville, USA. Sumitomo and Höegh Autoliners will explore the supply of ammonia bunker fuel for Höegh’s future car carrier fleet at Jacksonville and Singapore. Source: Port of Jacksonville.

The pair have signed an agreement for the supply of clean ammonia as a bunker fuel. Höegh Autoliners will utilise the ammonia fuel in its future fleet of Aurora Class PCTC vessels at the ports of Singapore and Jacksonville from 2027.

The twelve state-of-the-art vessels, two of which are scheduled to be delivered late next year, will be capable of running on ammonia or methanol. The vessels will be used for deep-sea transportation of Ro-Ro cargo, including as cars, high and heavy machinery and breakbulk.

The two parties will evaluate the compatibility between the PCTC vessels and the ammonia bunkering facilities at the two target ports. They will then make necessary adjustments to facilitate shore-to-ship and ship-to-ship bunkering, accounting for standardised operational protocols and available regulations.

The commitment with Sumitomo Corporation is a strong strategic move in our efforts to offer our customers net-zero transportation globally, addressing the need for sustainable fuel availability in key ports such as Singapore and Jacksonville. Pioneering net-zero transportation on ammonia-powered vessels places us at the forefront of the international shipping industry, and we take pride in collaborating with Sumitomo Corporation to achieve this significant milestone.

Andreas Enger, CEO of Höegh Autoliners, in his organisation’s official press release, 5 December 2023

Separately, Sumitomo and the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping are part of another consortium conducting a feasibility study on ship-to-ship ammonia bunkering at the Port of Savannah, also on the US Atlantic coast. Last month, Höegh provided a progress update on the construction of its first PCTC vessel in China.

Höegh Autoliner: Electric vehicle transportation

Höegh Autoliners has also partnered with an international car producer for the transportation of EVs from Asia to Europe and the US. This is part of Höegh’s strategy to reduce its own and its customers’ carbon footprint in the deep-sea car transportation industry.