Ammonia

DNV: Shifting into high gear from ammonia pilots to scalable deployment in APAC

Dr. Capt. Satinder Virdi of DNV highlights key challenges and opportunities, including infrastructure readiness, safety and regulation, and what it will take for APAC to lead the way in this shift to ammonia.

Published

10 months ago

August 15, 2025

Admin

DNV: Shifting into high gear from ammonia pilots to scalable deployment in APAC

With ammonia being one of the frontrunners among zero-carbon marine fuels, Dr. Capt. Satinder Virdi, Principal Consultant and Head of Research and Development, Maritime Advisory of classification society DNV shares why now is the time to move from pilot projects to large-scale regional implementation.

He highlights key challenges and opportunities, including infrastructure readiness, safety and regulation, and what it will take for APAC to lead the way in this shift:

As the global maritime industry accelerates its decarbonization efforts, ammonia is gaining traction as a zero-carbon fuel option, especially for long-distance shipping. When produced using renewable energy and seawater hydrolysis, green ammonia offers a viable pathway to significantly reduce emissions. However, adopting ammonia at scale involves unique safety, regulatory, and operational challenges that must be addressed systematically.

The Asia-Pacific (APAC) region is poised to lead this next phase of maritime energy transition. Countries such as Singapore and Japan are actively developing ammonia bunkering infrastructure and safety frameworks, while Australia is advancing major green ammonia production and export projects. As the region with some of the world’s busiest ports, top shipbuilders, and evolving regulations, APAC is navigating a complex and evolving maritime landscape- with both opportunities and challenges. To scale ammonia safely and effectively, the region must prioritize risk-informed design, regulatory alignment, coordinated cross-sector action, and human capital development.

Critical step towards wide-scale use

In 2024, the first successful shore-to-ship ammonia bunkering pilot was conducted in Singapore for Fortescue’s ammonia-powered vessel, the Green Pioneer, a critical step forward in demonstrating the feasibility of handling ammonia safely under real-world conditions. DNV was closely involved in the technology qualification process and technical assessments of the vessel’s ammonia safety systems and design, awarding it with a “Gas Fuelled Ammonia” notation, an industry first, to use ammonia in combination with diesel as a marine fuel.

Insights from a January 2022 ammonia bunkering safety study by GCMD served as a reference for the pilot’s execution. Supported by DNV and other industry partners, the study evaluated over 400 potential risk scenarios and delivered key safety recommendations to guide ammonia bunkering operations. These findings were instrumental in identifying suitable pilot locations and now serve as a foundation for future ammonia bunkering activities.

Shortly afterwards, the momentum around ammonia continued to build in Australia’s Pilbara region, where DNV supported a successful ship-to-ship ammonia transfer between MOL’s and Navigator Gas’ ammonia carriers, again working alongside GCMD. This operation demonstrated safe ammonia handling in a different regulatory and port environment, reinforcing the applicability of risk-based safety approaches. Together, these pilots are turning ammonia as a shipping fuel from concept to reality in APAC.

Safety as a top priority

Ammonia is a colourless, caustic, and highly toxic substance, making its use as a marine fuel particularly challenging. Classified as a flammable fuel under the IMO’s IGF Code (International Code of Safety for Ships Using Gases or Other Low-Flashpoint Fuels), its use requires specialised bunkering systems, designated safety zones onboard and in port, and targeted crew training as outlined in the STCW Code (Seafarers’ Training, Certification and Watchkeeping).

Its high toxicity demands rigorous safety protocols, as even low-level exposure poses serious health risks. While its pungent odour aids leak detection, managing these risks requires new approaches to ship design, emergency preparedness, and crew readiness.

Risk-based design is already being applied in new vessel and bunkering concepts. For instance, in DNV’s assessment of recent ammonia-ready vessel designs, features such as double-walled piping, gas dispersion modelling, and automated emergency shutdown systems are being integrated from the start. These are not optional add-ons but are essential to meet the safety threshold that regulators, port authorities, and society expect.

But design alone isn’t enough. The human factor will be a defining element in ammonia’s safety profile. DNV is supporting a major RoRo operator with due diligence and operational planning to ensure its technical teams are prepared to manage ammonia’s unique operational risks.

Infrastructure and Commercial Readiness

While ammonia bunkering concepts are progressing, commercial uptake is still at an early stage. According to DNV’s Alternative Fuels Insight (AFI) platform, only three ammonia-fuelled vessels are currently operational globally, with 37 more on order.

To enable future scaling and adoption of ammonia as a marine fuel, robust safety guidelines for its handling, comprehensive training for both crew and shore-side personnel, and strategic investment in dedicated bunkering infrastructure will be essential. These elements are critical to reducing operational uncertainty and fostering safe, confident adoption by vessel operators.

Moreover, green ammonia production, critical to the fuel’s net-zero credentials, is still limited. Industry estimates suggest that less than 1% of global ammonia today is produced using renewable energy, although multiple projects are under development in Australia, the Middle East, and Latin America.

Toward a Safe and Scalable Future

As ammonia gains traction as a marine fuel, the need to optimize operational safety is increasingly in focus. Alongside vessel design and crew training, which form the foundation for safe operations, technical barriers are also necessary. To help address these, DNV together with industry partners Yara Clean Ammonia, Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement/Ula Ship Management, and other stakeholders, have developed a new Recommended Practice (RP) that outlines safety protocols, risk assessment frameworks, and crew training requirements specific to ammonia. APAC stakeholders can draw valuable insights from this RP and adapt its guidance to regional contexts, as it provides a roadmap for training institutions, operators, and flag states to adopt ammonia-ready safety systems and build the necessary competence for future deployment.

In addition to safety considerations, the way forward for scaling ammonia deployment in APAC requires managing complex, interconnected challenges. An industry-wide collaboration involving ammonia producers, regulators and vessel operators is necessary for its broader adoption. Harmonizing evolving international standards with national policies will help avoid regulatory fragmentation. Widespread adoption will also require extensive crew training and major port upgrades to support ammonia-fuelled vessels at scale.

DNV is actively supporting these efforts across the region, collaborating with regulators, shipowners, and energy developers to turn ambition into safe, scalable solutions.

Photo credit: DNV
Published: 15 August, 2025

Up Next

ENGINE: Americas Bunker Fuel Availability Outlook (14 August 2025)

Don't Miss

ITOCHU and L&T to develop green ammonia facility for Singapore bunkering operations

Ammonia

AM Green plans to build green ammonia plant at Indian port

Initiative also includes development of green ammonia handling, storage and bunkering infrastructure, pilot bunkering operations, safety procedures and training programmes, says VOC Port Authority.

Published

1 day ago

June 3, 2026

Admin

VO Chidambaranar (VOC) Port Authority on Friday (29 May) said it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with India’s ammonia producer AM Green Ammonia to collaborate in the development of a green ammonia production plant.

The plant will have a capacity of one million tonnes per annum (MTPA) at Tuticorin.

The initiative also includes development of green ammonia handling, storage and bunkering infrastructure, pilot bunkering operations, safety procedures and training programmes.

The project is expected to support the development of green fuel corridors connecting VOC Port with major ports in Europe and Asia, thereby strengthening India’s position in the global green fuels value chain.

VOC Port also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bureau Veritas (India) Pvt. Ltd., to collaborate on Green Port certification, emissions accounting, ESG reporting, safety validation, development of green bunkering practices, and establishment of a Centre of Excellence for green fuels and sustainability.

The port also plans for an upcoming 750 m³ green methanol bunkering facility.

Photo credit: Naveed Ahmed on Unsplash
Published: 3 June, 2026

Alternative Fuels

DNV on IMO MSC 111: Interim guidelines for using hydrogen, ammonia as marine fuels approved

Highlights of IMO’s MSC 111 include approved interim guidelines for ships using hydrogen and ammonia cargo as fuels as well as endorsed work plans to address regulatory safety barriers to alternative fuels.

Published

1 week ago

May 26, 2026

Admin

Classification society DNV on Saturday (2 May) released technical and regulatory news on the highlights of IMO’s MSC 111 including approved interim guidelines for ships using hydrogen and ammonia cargo as marine fuels as well as endorsed work plans to address regulatory safety barriers to alternative fuels and new technologies.

The following are excerpts of the article:

The 111th session of the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC 111) was held from 13 to 22 May 2026. The adoption of a new goal-based Code for Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) marks a key milestone in the IMO’s work to ensure that the regulatory framework keeps pace with the rapid development of shipping technologies. MSC 111 also approved revised Explanatory Notes for the Safe Return to Port concept for passenger ships, as well as draft amendments to the IGC Code for gas carriers to incorporate a decade of Unified Interpretations, turning operational experience into clearer and more consistent requirements.

Training for seafarers on alternative fuels and new technologies

MSC 111 approved new “Interim guidelines on training for seafarers on ships using methyl/ethyl alcohol as fuel”, as well as new “Interim guidelines on training for seafarers on ships using amm onia as fuel”.

The fuel-specific guidelines support the generic “Interim guidelines on training for seafarers on ships using alternative fuels and new technologies to support the reduction of GHG emissions from international shipping” (STCW. 7/Circ.25),which were approved by MSC 110 in 2025.

MSC 111 further endorsed the work plan for the further development of training provisions for seafarers on ships using alternative fuels and new technologies.

Ships using hydrogen as fuel

MSC 111 approved “Interim using hydrogen as fuel” guidelines for the safety of ships

Ships using ammonia cargo as fuel

MSC 111 approved “Interim guidelines for use of ammonia cargo as fuel on gas carriers”. These guidelines aim to support the safe handling of ammonia as fuel, with main focus on areas outside the cargo areas to ensure safety for the crew and ship.

IGC Code – ships carrying gases or low flashpoint fuels

MSC 111 approved draft amendments to the IGC Code to incorporate the large number of Unified Interpretations (UIs) developed since the latest major review of the code, which entered into force in 2016. The primary objective of the draft amendments is to remove ambiguity and promote the consistent implementation of the IGC Code requirements.

The draft amendments to the IGC Code are expected to enter into force on 1 July 2028, subject to adoption by MSC 112 (December 2026).

The draft amendments to the IGC Code will apply to ships constructed on or after 1 July 2028, i.e. ships:

for which the building contract is placed on or after 1 July 2028; or in the absence of a building contract, the keels of which are laid or which are at a similar stage of construction on or after 1 January 2029; or the delivery of which is on or after 1 July 2032.

Draft amendments to the model form of the International Certificate of Fitness for the Carriage of Liquefied Gases in Bulk in Appendix 2 of the IGC Code were approved to reflect the three-date application provision.

The following MSC Circulars, containing UIs to the IGC Code, are expected to be suspended upon adoption and entry into force of the IGC Code amendments:

MSC.1/Circ.1543, MSC.1/Circ.1559, MSC.1/Circ.1590,
MSC.1/Circ.1606, MSC.1/Circ.1617, MSC.1/Circ.1625,
MSC.1/Circ.1651, MSC.1/Circ.1669 and MSC.1/Circ.1679.

Note: The full article can be found here.

Photo credit: Venti Views on Unsplash
Published: 26 May, 2026

Ammonia

Singapore authorises ITOCHU subsidiary to conduct ammonia bunkering trials

ITOCHU plans to conduct demonstration trials in collaboration with MOL, supplying ammonia fuel to dual-fuel Capesize bulkers within the port of Singapore during the last quarter of 2027.

Published

2 weeks ago

May 22, 2026

Admin

ITOCHU orders world’s first ammonia bunkering vessel for Singapore demonstration project

ITOCHU Corporation (ITOCHU) on Wednesday (20 May) announced that the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has granted authorisation to ZETA Bunkering Pte Ltd (ZETA), a wholly owned subsidiary of ITOCHU, to conduct ammonia bunkering trials in Singapore.

The authorisation was granted following MPA’s review of ZETA’s submissions, which included comprehensive safety studies, risk assessments, and business plans for ammonia bunkering in Singapore.

The ammonia bunkering trials to be conducted under this authorisation will serve to verify the technical readiness, operational protocols, infrastructure, and technologies, to assess and inform the development of safe and environmentally sustainable ammonia bunkering practices in Singapore. The authorisation was issued on 27 April and will become effective on 15 May for a trial period up to two years subject to MPA’s prevailing regulatory framework.

In June 2025, as part of ITOCHU’s integrated project for developing and owning of ammonia-fuelled vessels and the establishment of a global supply chain for ammonia as marine fuel, ITOCHU placed an order for the world’s first newbuilding ammonia bunker vessel, through Clean Ammonia Bunkering Shipping Pte Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of ITOCHU. The vessel is being constructed by Sasaki Shipbuilding, will be flagged under the Singapore Registry of Shipping and is expected to be delivered in September 2027.

The authorisation will accelerate ITOCHU’s initiatives to decarbonise international shipping. Specifically, ITOCHU plans to conduct demonstration trials in collaboration with Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL), supplying ammonia fuel from the ammonia bunker vessel to dual-fuel Capesize bulkers, jointly owned by CMB.TECH NV (Belgium) and MOL, and chartered by MOL, within the port of Singapore during the last quarter of 2027, subject to the relevant regulatory approvals.

Through these demonstrations and subsequent ammonia bunkering trial operations under the authorisation, ITOCHU will work closely with MPA and other maritime stakeholders to develop infrastructure, technologies, and operational standards for ammonia bunkering that prioritise safety and environmental sustainability. ITOCHU will also formulate detailed implementation plans, conduct risk assessments, and establish emergency response measures, ensuring that safety and environmental protection remain paramount.

These trials will enable ITOCHU to establish safe and sustainable ship-to-ship bunkering operations using ammonia as marine fuel, with the aim of commercialising the ammonia bunkering business in Singapore and at major maritime hubs worldwide.

Photo credit: ITOCHU Corporation
Published: 22 May, 2026