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Posted by Allen Newton
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11 Nov, 2026
PILBARA Ports is pushing ahead with its exploration of ammonia bunkering.
It has signed a joint development agreement (JDA) with the Australian Renewable Energy Hub (AREH) to investigate the supply of green ammonia for both ship-to-ship bunkering and bulk liquid exports through Port Hedland.
The agreement builds on AREH's role in the Pilbara Clean Fuel Bunkering Hub initiative and supports Pilbara Ports' ambition to establish the Pilbara as a global centre for maritime decarbonisation.
Under the JDA, the parties will explore how future ammonia production from AREH could connect with port infrastructure and services needed to support marine fuel supply and ammonia export markets.
AREH chair Isaac Hinton said the agreement aligned with the project's staged development strategy.
“AREH’s phased approach allows us to pursue near-term opportunities in renewable-powered data centres while developing the foundations for industrial decarbonisation and sovereign future clean fuel production,” he said.
“This agreement with Pilbara Ports advances the longer-term opportunity for green ammonia to supply shipping and export markets. It will help us understand how production could connect with port infrastructure and marine fuel demand as AREH scales up.”
AREH, wholly owned by InterContinental Energy, is proposed as a large-scale renewable energy development in the Pilbara. At full scale, the project could include up to 26GW of renewable generation capacity, supporting renewable-powered data centres, hydrogen production and ammonia manufacturing for domestic and export markets.
Pilbara Ports chief executive Samuel McSkimming said collaboration between fuel producers, port operators and vessel owners would be critical to developing a clean-fuel supply chain.
“Developing a clean fuel bunkering industry requires coordination between fuel producers, port infrastructure providers and ship operators,” Mr McSkimming said.
“Our agreement with AREH will help us explore the infrastructure and services needed to support green ammonia bunkering and bulk exports at Port Hedland.”
The announcement follows a series of ammonia bunkering milestones in Western Australia. Pilbara Ports recently supported what it described as Australia's first ship-to-ship ammonia transfer trial in Port Hedland, following earlier transfer operations in Dampier, providing further validation of ammonia's potential as a future marine fuel.
Pilbara Ports estimates that replacing conventional heavy fuel oil with low-carbon ammonia across the iron ore shipping fleet servicing its ports could reduce annual fuel lifecycle emissions by up to 88%.
The Pilbara Clean Fuel Bunkering Hub initiative aims to establish a locally supplied clean marine fuel industry capable of supporting decarbonisation across shipping, maritime and resource-sector operations, particularly along the Pilbara-North Asia trade route.
