A NEW report from maritime advisors DNV says there is a two-phase pathway for the adoption of ammonia in shipping.
DNV’s “Ammonia in Shipping: Tracing the Emergence of a New Fuel” report, addresses the key barriers to the uptake of ammonia and outlines a two-phase pathway for its widespread adoption in shipping.
Moving from concept to early-stage implementation in just five years, ammonia has a path to becoming a low-GHG fuel alternative for deep-sea shipping, according to the DNV paper.
The first phase would see the building, fuelling, and operation of a pioneering ammonia-powered fleet consisting of a few dozen vessels, crewed by a few hundred competent personnel, and bunkering a few million tonnes of ammonia from a dozen ports.
The second phase would include scale up with global infrastructure, production and IMO regulations.
Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen, CEO of DNV Maritime said: “The groundwork for ammonia as a fuel is being laid, and the orderbook proves it’s no longer just a theoretical fuel. Ammonia’s toxicity and high cost remain a challenge.’
He explained that with targeted financial support mechanisms for a pioneering fleet, supply and infrastructure developments and robust safety regulations, it can be progressed.
“While we have seen great progress recently, the next years will determine the role of blue and green ammonia in the future fuel mix.”
Technical readiness is advancing with 39 ammonia-fuelled vessels on order, commercial engines available, and the first use of the fuel demonstrated.
Production of blue and green ammonia is currently low, but confirmed plans in place will see it rise to 14 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) by 2030.
Bunkering infrastructure is also emerging, as DNV reports that trials have been completed in key ports, including Singapore and Rotterdam.
DCN has reported on Pilbara Ports Climate Action Plan and its trials for ammonia bunkering.
There’s also the Pilbara Ports' Clean Fuel Bunkering Hub, which outlines a strategic roadmap to establish a clean fuel bunkering hub in the region, enabling the use of alternative marine fuels such as ammonia.
The first of its type in Australia, the bunkering hub would support decarbonisation efforts across the shipping, resource and maritime sectors, in line with the State Government 2050 emissions reduction target.
We can also report on the roadmap for a world first ship-to-ship ammonia transfer trial conducted at anchorage in the Port of Dampier in September 2024.
In partnership with the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) and Yara Clean Ammonia, 2,700 tonnes of ammonia was transferred between the Green Pioneer and Navigator Global. This global first has been recognised as a significant step toward large scale clean fuel bunkering.
For the full report on this, visit the GCMD website.
Scaling up use of ammonia as ship fuel requires a framework of standardized solutions that can be easily adopted across the industry,” according to Linda Hammer, Principal Consultant at DNV and lead author of the report.
“The current risk-based approval framework must be replaced by prescriptive regulations mandated by the IGF Code, production needs to be increased, and more ports must be able to supply green and blue ammonia - requiring harmonization of port safety standards and dissemination of lessons learned. Standardized training is also essential to ensure sufficient competent crew.”