Japanese trading house Itochu and South Korean petrochemical producer Lotte Chemical will co-operate on ammonia businesses to secure fuel-use ammonia for Japan and South Korea.
26 July 2022
Itochu signed an agreement on 21 July with Lotte Chemical to collaborate on developing fuel ammonia businesses in their efforts to decarbonise. The companies see Japan and South Korea as two major ammonia importers in the far east Asian region, expecting huge demand for ammonia as a decarbonised fuel in the power and marine sectors.
The companies plan to trade fuel-use ammonia, and they will also study the use of ammonia infrastructures, demand in Japan and South Korea, and joint investment in carbon capture and storage (CCS) to produce blue ammonia. The companies will also explore opportunities in the hydrogen industry, but ammonia is the first priority, Itochu said.
Discussions about infrastructure will start with tanks, pipelines, as well as loading and unloading facilities at main ports in South Korea — such as Busan, Ulsan and Yeosu — which are to be newly built for ammonia supply chains, Itochu added.
Itochu is accelerating its ammonia businesses in Japan and outside the country. It is developing ammonia-fuelled vessels with domestic firms, as well as conducting a study on ammonia bunkering in the country. Japan’s ministry of land, infrastructure, transport and tourism (MLIT) is targeting the commercial launch of an ammonia-fuelled ship as early as possible — before 2028 and possibly even around 2025.
Itochu is also working on building an ammonia supply chain for marine fuel in Singapore with Japanese shipowner Mitsui OSK Lines (Mol), Itochu’s subsidiary Itochu Enex, Netherlands-based oil storage and terminal operator Vopak, Singapore’s Pavilion Energy and Total.
Itochu and Mol already obtained in-principle approval to build an ammonia bunkering vessel, which is part of a wider effort to develop a supply chain.
Itochu is also planning blue ammonia production in Canada from 2027 with CCS technology. It will work on the project with Petronas Energy Canada, the Canadian subsidiary of Malaysian state-owned oil firm Petronas, and an unspecified Canadian infrastructure company. The companies are targeting to start construction of the 1mn t/yr plant in 2024.
By Maiko Nakashima
Photo credit and source: Argus Media
Published: 27 July, 2022
Other partners in the agreement are Italian Classification Society RINA and China Classification Society; focus will be on hydrogen and ammonia as marine fuel.
Firm plans engagement with shipowners and engine manufacturers adopting scrubber route.
Mollet’s appointment follows a sustained period of interest in the development of the MFA, which aims to support and assist physical bunker suppliers.
Its Middle Eastern office has experienced rapid growth in the past year.
Toyota Tsusho Petroleum also supplies biofuel produced in Europe and sold by GoodFuels, a biofuel producer in the Netherlands, for foreign ships at Singapore port.
Newbuildings constructed by China Merchants Jinling Shipyard Dingheng expected to be delivered from mid-2023 and will be operated by E&S Tankers.
Glander International Bunkering (Norway) AS seeking payment of USD 115,963.52 (not including contractual compensation and interests) from the vessel’s demise charterer, according to court documents.
“In TotalEnergies, we already have projects along the e-Fuel value chain, from green electricity and green / blue hydrogen to e-Fuel production that will be integrated along the marine fuels value chain in time to come,” shares Louise Tricoire.
Buyers can nominate deliveries on platform and plan operations together with suppliers following ‘one single truth’ concept with all players aware of what has been agreed when and by whom, says DNV spokesman.
Rotterdam’s intention to mandate the usage of MFMs goes down well with licensed bunker supplier VT Group; MFM providers supportive of move but stressed continuous monitoring is needed for optimum performance.
Cost of alternative bunker fuels, bunker operations and technology advancement are some considerations to be examined by the maritime industry, says Neo, director of SDE International Pte Ltd.
Kim Hyung Joon and Han Donghoon were planning to join the Singapore entities of Hartree Group - either Hartree Partners Singapore Pte Ltd or Hartree Marine Fuels - in October, discovered management.
