Trafigura has signed a contract for four medium-sized gas carriers, featuring WinGD dual fuel ammonia engines. The vessels will be built at HD Hyundai Mipo Dockyard in Ulsan, South Korea, and the first ship will be delivered in 2028.
ClassNK, DNV, Lloyd’s Register and the American Bureau of Shipping have all released new resources to support the implementation of marine ammonia fuel. We explore vessel operation guidelines and best-practice recommendations, seafarer training programs, and models for ammonia leak dispersion onboard vessels.
We explore recent, full-scale, dual-fuel engine testing results from leading maritime vendors such as MAN Energy Solutions and WinGD. Testing indicates negligible emissions of the potent GHG N2O (which can be fully eliminated with catalytic treatment), and significantly lower NOX emissions for engines running in ammonia mode, compared to running on fuel oil or diesel. Overall, compliance with IMO Tier II and III emission limits is well within reach for the first generation of ammonia-fueled maritime engines.
The UK’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency has set out timelines and processes for operators of ammonia-fueled vessels to engage with authorities in preparation for operations in UK waters. Ammonia fuel is included in the Department of Transport’s first-ever Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy, with as much as 70% of the forecast fuel mix being ammonia by 2050.
The regulations send a clear signal to industry – business as usual operations will become significantly more expensive, and zero or near-zero (ZNZ) technologies and fuels represent one of the better opportunities to make deep emissions cuts. Following the historic vote at the IMO, we explore critical timelines for the new regulations, compliance thresholds, mechanisms for vessels to comply, and uncertainties that remain.
Adani Energy Solutions has had a $330 million transmission project approved that will supply power to its renewable hydrogen and ammonia project in Mundra, Gujarat. The first phase of the Mundra Green Hydrogen Hub will feature 1 million tons per year hydrogen production capacity, with ammonia to be utilized for coal co-firing, marine fuel, exports, and as a substitute for current feedstock imports into India.
The Newcastlemax vessel is expected to be delivered to Fortescue by the end of 2026, and will feature WinGD’s X‑DF‑A dual-fuel engine. The vessel is one of a series under construction at Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding in China.
Facilitated by the Port of Rotterdam, Trammo, OCI, James Fisher Fendercare successfully completed a ship-to-ship transfer of ammonia between two vessels berthed at APM Terminals Maasvlakte earlier this month. The successful pilot raises the Port of Rotterdam’s “Port Readiness Level” for marine ammonia fuel to the deployment phase.
More than half the awarded funding goes towards ammonia, including GW-scale projects led by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and Moeve. IGNIS has also won funding for its maritime fuel-focused project in Coruña.