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Alternative Fuels

Argus Media: Itochu, Lotte Chemical eye NH3 business

Itochu is also working on building an ammonia supply chain for marine fuel in Singapore with other players including Mitsui OSK Lines and Singapore’s Pavilion Energy and Total.
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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

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LNG Bunkering

PIL’s LNG dual-fuel boxship “Kota Elok” arrives in Singapore on maiden call

As the first of 13 new 13,000 TEU vessels joining its fleet, Kota Elok is equipped to operate on LNG and low-sulphur fuel oil that helps reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.

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PIL's LNG dual-fuel boxship “Kota Elok” arrives in Singapore on maiden call

Singapore-based Pacific International Lines Pte Ltd on Monday (20 July) said its first 13,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel container vessel, Kota Elok, recently made her maiden call to Singapore on 15 July.

As the first of 13 new 13,000 TEU vessels joining its fleet, Kota Elok is equipped to operate on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and low-sulphur fuel oil that helps reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. 

The vessel also incorporated energy-saving features and digital technologies to reduce fuel consumption and enhance operational performance, as well as a bow windshield to improve aerodynamics, contributing to improved fuel efficiency and lower emissions over the course of long-haul voyages.

“Following Singapore, Kota Elok will continue her voyage on our East Coast Service 1 (ES1) route to South America, calling at ports in Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina before returning to Asia,” the company said in a social media post. 

Kota Elok also became PIL’s first vessel to receive Lloyd’s Register certification for compliance with the IACS UR E26 and UR E27 cyber security requirements.

Developed by the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), UR E26 and UR E27 are mandatory cyber resilience requirements for newbuild vessels contracted from 1 July 2024. 

 

Photo credit: Pacific International Lines
Published: 21 July, 2026

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LNG Bunkering

CIMC SOE secures order for 12,000-cbm LNG bunkering vessel from Sinopec Clean Energy

Once operational, the vessel is expected to strengthen Sinopec’s domestic coastal LNG bunkering network and help address gaps in China’s alternative fuel bunkering infrastructure.
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July 21, 2026

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CIMC SOE secures order for 12,000-cbm LNG bunkering vessel from Sinopec Clean Energy

China’s Nantong CIMC Sinopacific Offshore & Engineering Co., Ltd. (CIMC SOE) recently signed a contract with Sinopec (Beijing) Clean Energy Co., Ltd. to build a 12,000-cubic metre (m3) LNG bunkering vessel, according to Chinese maritime media.

The vessel is scheduled for delivery in 2028 and will support Sinopec’s efforts to expand its presence in the marine clean energy sector.

Once operational, the vessel is expected to strengthen Sinopec’s domestic coastal LNG bunkering network and help address gaps in China’s LNG bunkering infrastructure.

With this signing , CIMC Pacific Offshore Engineering’s LNG bunkering vessel orderbook is further strengthened, maintaining its leading position in the global market for small and medium-sized LNG bunkering vessels.

The contract also marked another milestone for CIMC SOE, which has seen a sharp increase in orders and business performance this year amid a surge in domestic LNG vessel demand.

 

Photo credit: Nantong CIMC Sinopacific Offshore & Engineering
Published: 21 July, 2026

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Nuclear

ABS awards AiP to Korean institute for SMR-powered container ship concept design

KRISO says AiP recognises the technical feasibility and safety of its concept design, marking an important milestone toward the development of next-generation nuclear-powered commercial ships.
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ABS awards AiP to Korean institute for SMR-powered container ship concept design

Korea Research Institute of Ships & Ocean Engineering (KRISO) on Thursday (16 July) received Approval in Principle (AiP) from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) for its concept design of a 15,000 TEU Small Modular Reactor (SMR)-powered container ship utilising Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) technology.

KRISO said the AiP recognises the technical feasibility and safety of its concept design, marking an important milestone toward the development of next-generation nuclear-powered commercial ships.

“This achievement demonstrates international recognition of KRISO’s technological capabilities in the rapidly evolving field of nuclear-powered shipping, supporting the transition toward low-carbon maritime transport,” it said. 

Building on this milestone, KRISO will continue advancing basic and detailed ship design, paving the way for future demonstration and commercialisation of SMR-powered vessels. 

Through continued R&D and international collaboration, KRISO remains committed to strengthening next-generation maritime technologies and contributing to the safe deployment of nuclear propulsion in the maritime industry.

 

Photo credit: Korea Research Institute of Ships & Ocean Engineering
Published: 21 July, 2026

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