Singapore authorises ITOCHU subsidiary to conduct ammonia bunkering trials
- Published
by Admin
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.
Related: ITOCHU orders world’s first ammonia bunkering vessel for Singapore demonstration project
Photo credit: ITOCHU Corporation
Published: 22 May, 2026
