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Maersk, ABS and partners explore ammonia as bunker fuel in US East Coast

Eight maritime industry players will conduct a feasibility study to establish a comprehensive and competitive supply chain for green ammonia ship-to-ship bunkering on US East Coast.

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American Bureau of Shipping, A.P. Moller – Maersk A/S and their partners recently announced the execution of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to jointly conduct a feasibility study with the aim to be one of the pioneers in establishing a comprehensive and competitive supply chain for the provision of green ammonia ship-to-ship bunkering on the US East Coast. 

The other partners who signed the MoU are Fleet Management Limited, Georgia Ports Authority, Maersk Mc-Kinney Moller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping, Savage Services, Sumitomo Corporation and TOTE Services. 

The study will be conducted at the Port of Savannah, the third busiest gateway for containerised trade in America.

The study aims to cover the entire end-to-end supply chain of ammonia bunkering, which includes the development of a cost-effective green ammonia supply chain, the design of an Ammonia Bunkering Articulated Tug-Barge (AB-ATB), as well as related supply chain infrastructure. In addition, safety assessments are critical to formulate standards for use of ammonia as a marine fuel. Relevant government agencies and experts in the US will be engaged in working towards the standardisation of safe operations and regulations.

Maersk, ABS and partners explore ammonia as bunker fuel in US East Coast

Panos Koutsourakis, Vice President, Global Sustainability at American Bureau of Shipping, said: “Ammonia offers shipowners and operators a zero-carbon, tank-to-wake emissions profile. Yet, we also recognise that ammonia presents a specific set of safety and technology challenges. We look forward to engaging with the other project members and sharing our industry-leading experience with ammonia-fuelled vessels to support the study.”

Morten Bo Christiansen, Head of Energy Transition at A.P. Moller-Maersk, said: “At Maersk, we are committed to net zero by 2040. To achieve this we need huge amounts of green fuel for our ships. For now, green methanol is the only pathway that is certain to have material impact in this decade, and we are happy to see the momentum that is building in the shipping industry on this pathway. However, given the enormity of the challenge ahead of us, we must keep exploring additional new fuel pathways. We see green ammonia as a fuel with potential in the long term for commercial shipping. However, safety and environmental challenges related to ammonia’s toxicity must be addressed in the short term, and we must get a solid understanding of the cost of bunkering ammonia. This study will help our industry better understand the full spectrum of practical and safety considerations when dealing with green ammonia as a fuel.”

Kishore Rajvanshy, Managing Director at Fleet Management Limited, said “We’re delighted to be contributing our technical expertise to this green ammonia study. As the world’s second largest ship manager, we’re committed to supporting our clients on their green energy transition journey, and in recent years have built our capabilities in designing dual fuel vessels and conducting safe and reliable ammonia bunkering. This aims to benefit not just our clients, but the decarbonisation pathway for the broader shipping industry.”

Joanne Caldwell, Director, Risk Management & Sustainability, at Georgia Ports Authority, said “The Georgia Ports Authority looks forward to learning the results of this Joint Feasibility Study for the potential commercial readiness of ammonia as a possible alternative zero-carbon fuel source. Innovative ideas in energy are key to powering Georgia’s future as a leader in responsible economic development and environmental stewardship.”

Claus Winter Graugaard, Chief Technology Officer at Maersk Mc-Kinney Moller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping, said “Enabling sustainable and scalable alternative fuel pathways is critically important for building confidence and investment appetite in fuel supply chains. At the Maersk Mc-Kinney Moller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping, we are leading multiparty scientific projects and risk management activities on how ammonia can be qualified as a sustainable and safe energy carrier for worldwide marine fuel deployment. The Port of Savannah project is a great logistical entry point for qualifying how ammonia could be made available. Furthermore, it provides a local and regional use case for commercial activation in the US East Coast.”

Jason Ray, President, Infrastructure Sector at Savage, said “Savage is pleased to collaborate with Sumitomo Corporation and other partners on this exciting project, doing our part to help advance the development of alternative marine fuels and contribute to global decarbonization efforts.”

Koji Endo, General Manager of Energy Division at Sumitomo Corporation, said “We embark on our ambition to build the first Ship-to-Ship ammonia bunkering base in the US in addition to Singapore and Oman, which highlight our commitment to offer our customers the best available and technologically proven solution to reduce the emission footprint from maritime transport”.

Jeff Dixon, President at TOTE Services, said “TOTE Services is committed to the advancement of alternative fuel solutions that will help lead the maritime industry toward net zero emissions. We look forward to leveraging our core competencies, technical expertise, and demonstrated record of safety and reliability in the LNG market to work with this great group of industry leaders in the ship-to-ship bunkering of ammonia.”

 

Photo credit: Sumitomo Corporation
Published: 11 April, 2023

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LNG Bunkering

Baleària arranges LNG bunkering operations on same day at Port of Barcelona

Occasion marked the first time three bunkering operations were carried out on three different ships on the same day at the same port in Spain.

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Baleària arranges three LNG bunkering operations on same day in Barcelona

Spanish shipping company Baleària on Thursday (15 May) said it broke an all-time record for the supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG) with the bunkering of three of its vessels in the port of Barcelona.

The occasion marked the first time three bunkering operations were carried out on three different ships on the same day at the same port in Spain.

The company said the three vessels were fuelled with a total of 2,320 MWh of LNG by eight tankers. 

Fast ferry Margarita Salas was fuelled by three tankers simultaneously. Ferry Martín i Soler was fuelled by two tankers and ferry Bahama Mama was bunkered by another three tankers also. 

“Our commitment to LNG grew by 184% in 2024. Combined with electric propulsion and other eco-efficiency measures, we have managed to reduce our carbon footprint by almost 10% per passenger,” it said. 

 

Photo credit: Baleària
Published: 19 May, 2025

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Biofuel

Cosco-controlled Piraeus Container Terminal offers biofuel bunkering services

PCT, a fully controlled subsidiary of Cosco Shipping Ports, has officially introduced biofuel bunkering services for vessels calling at the Port of Piraeus.

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Cosco-controlled Piraeus Container Terminal offers biofuel bunkering services

Cosco Shipping Europe, the regional management company of China Cosco Shipping Corporation in the European Region, on Friday (16 May) said biofuel bunkering is now available at Piraeus Container Terminal (PCT) in Greece. 

PCT, a fully controlled subsidiary of Cosco Shipping Ports, has officially introduced biofuel bunkering services for vessels calling at the Port of Piraeus – supporting customers in achieving greener, more sustainable supply chains.

After listening to customer needs, Cosco Shipping (Europe) said PCT swiftly moved into action to re-evaluate legal foundations for biofuel bunkering under ISO 8217:2024 and new Greek regulations.

It added that PCT also partnered with suppliers to provide full-service bunkering options.

 

Photo credit: Cosco Shipping Europe
Published: 19 May, 2025

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Ammonia

ABS answers critical safety questions related to using ammonia as a marine fuel

ABS engineers examined realistic bunkering situations such as STS, terminal-to-ship and truck-to-ship, as well as ammonia dispersion from the vessel due to a leakage incident in the engine room.

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RESIZED Venti Views on Unsplash

Classification society American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) on Thursday (15 May) published its report to bring together the findings of its advanced research into the performance of ammonia on board.

Critical safety questions such as “how does ammonia behave when it leaks in an engine room?” and “how does a cloud of escaped ammonia disperse during bunkering operations?” are addressed in the latest ABS research.

ABS performed computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations using advanced tools to quantitatively assess the risks associated with ammonia dispersion in accidental leakage scenarios. 

ABS engineers examined realistic bunkering situations such as ship-to-ship, terminal-to-ship and truck-to-ship, as well as ammonia dispersion from the vessel due to a leakage incident in the engine room.

“This publication provides a comprehensive report of ABS’ efforts to address the challenges and opportunities presented by ammonia as a marine fuel,” said Vassilios Kroustallis, ABS Senior Vice President, Global Business Development.

“Through detailed analysis of ammonia dispersion studies and emergency evacuation protocols, ABS is contributing to the discourse on safe and supportable maritime fuel alternatives, fostering a culture of preparedness and resilience.”

In addition to CFD simulation analysis, ABS leveraged the latest industry best practices and advancements in software and hardware – including acoustic cameras for detecting and visualizing ammonia leakage – to provide a thorough, three-part framework for owners and operators evaluating ammonia as a cleaner fuel source:

  • Proactive regulatory engagement and risk anticipation
  • Development and implementation of a multifaceted safety framework, combining qualitative and quantitative risk assessments
  • Real-time monitoring and optimized emergency response

Note: Download a copy of the ABS publication Safety Insights for Ammonia as a Marine Fuel here.

 

Photo credit: Venti Views on Unsplash
Published: 19 May, 2025

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