Renewable marine fuel on key Indian Ocean shipping lanes

Great Oceans Green Ammonia, Sri Lanka

Click to enlarge. Sri Lanka’s strategic location for global shipping. Source: Great Oceans Green Ammonia.

Project developer Great Oceans Green Ammonia (GOGA) is Sri Lanka’s “pioneering” renewable ammonia and methanol developer, based on renewable electricity and electrolytic hydrogen inputs. 4 GW of offshore wind will be complemented by 700 MW onshore solar and a battery storage project. Running at projected capacity factors of 38–42%, the 1000 km2 offshore wind complex is expected to generate 13 – 15 TWh/year, providing power for electrolysis, but also contributing to decarbonisation of the power sector in Sri Lanka.

GOGA aims for a phased production roadmap of hydrogen derivative fuels: 200,000 tons of methanol within two years of beginning commercial operations, followed by 500,000 tons per year of renewable ammonia by 2030, and 1 million tons per year by 2032. Sri Lanka sits directly on the primary east-west shipping corridor connecting Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and East Africa (via the Straits of Malacca and the Suez Canal). This is a “decisive commercial advantage”:

proximity to major shipping lanes, short transits to regional buyers, and the potential to re‑establish the nation’s bunkering prominence by offering competitively priced, zero‑carbon marine fuels. GOGA’s plan restores and modernises national logistics and port capacity – creating high‑value jobs, enabling local supply‑chain development, and catalysing investment across manufacturing, shipping and services. The project’s marine and land spatial planning minimizes conflicts with fisheries and navigation while maximising synergies with Colombo, Hambantota and nearby port infrastructure to reduce lifecycle costs and accelerate deployment.

Commercial advantages of the Great Oceans Green Ammonia project, provided to the AEA

The venture is transformative for Sri Lanka’s energy, industrial and maritime economy – positioning the country as a regional green fuels export hub, restoring bunkering glory, and delivering measurable environmental and economic benefits for decades to come.

The Great Oceans Green Ammonia project, provided to the AEA

Originating in 1971, Sri Lanka’s bunkering industry has experienced slow but steady growth focused on two ports: Colombo and Hambantota. Further investment, infrastructure and policy support is required to develop a significant bunkering hub.