Australian trio takes step closer to establishing low emissions ammonia bunkering operations

NH3 Clean Energy, Pilbara Ports and Oceania Marine Energy have signed an agreement to establish low emissions ammonia bunkering operations at Australia’s Port of Dampier and support the decarbonisation of the Pilbara-Asia maritime corridor.

The agreement follows the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) recent announcement of its Net Zero Framework which sets mandatory emissions limits and a global pricing mechanism for ships over 5,000t gross tonnage from 2027.

With various investors looking to build new zero-carbon ammonia plants in Australia over the next 5-15 years, NH3 Clean Energy believes that Western Australia has the potential to be a world leader in reducing maritime emissions.

Trio aims to establish operations by 2030

Last September, a successful trial took place to test out STS of ammonia at anchorages within the Port of Dampier. Two transfers took place between a 23,4000t capacity carrier and a handysize tanker.

Yara Clean Ammonia, which has an ammonia plant at Pilbara and moves more than 50,000t per month via Port of Dampier to domestic and overseas customers, provided the ammonia used in the transfers. Each transfer operation took approximately six hours.

The agreement establishes the framework for how the parties intend to work together with the aim of establishing an ammonia bunkering service from Dampier Bulk Liquids Berth to anchorage by 2030.

Pilbara Ports will be responsible for the control and management of the Port of Dampier, for issuing bunkering licences and for safe operations while NH3 Clean Energy will supply low-emissions ammonia from its WAH2 Project.

Meanwhile, Oceania Marine Energy, a privately owned company intending to establish a bunkering business at the Port of Dampier, will provide and operate the vessels.

By Robert Prendergast, Market Reporter and Analyst at Profercy