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Study: South Africa-Europe shipping route could run on green ammonia marine fuel by 2029

Ammonia-fuelled bulk carriers could feasibly be deployed on the South Africa-Europe iron ore trade route as soon as 2029 and scale toward full decarbonisation by 2035, says Global Maritime Forum.

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RESIZED Chris Pagan

Ammonia-fuelled bulk carriers could feasibly be deployed on the South Africa-Europe iron ore trade route as soon as 2029 and scale toward full decarbonisation by 2035, according to the Global Maritime Forum on Thursday (30 October). 

The feasibility study, produced in collaboration with a consortium created in 2023, said the corridor linking Saldanha Bay in the Western Cape to the Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands would be one of the first Global South-to-North green shipping routes.

The consortium includes Anglo American, CMB.TECH, Freeport Saldanha, VUKA Marine, and ENGIE. 

Saldanha Bay, home to South Africa’s primary iron-ore export terminal, is already planning the development of ammonia production, alongside port upgrades to handle bunkering operations.

In the green corridor’s initial years, ammonia-fuelled vessels would likely bunker in Rotterdam, which is one of the most mature ports in terms of its ammonia bunkering and safety frameworks. Meanwhile, Saldanha Bay will have the opportunity to build the infrastructure to become the long-term green ammonia production and bunkering hub for the corridor.

By 2035, the port could supply bunkering services to all corridor vessels locally, creating a dual-purpose facility that continues mineral exports while serving international shipping.

“This phased approach gives shipowners and fuel producers a clear timeline to work toward, and we now need coordinated action from policymakers and industry to make this a reality by 2029,” said Shanon Neumann, Associate: Investment Facilitation at Freeport Saldanha. “However, to help Saldanha Bay transition quickly, blending public and private funding can unlock investment in infrastructure and reduce the risks of early projects.”

The World Bank and World Economic Forum have both previously identified South Africa as a prospective key player in fueling shipping’s decarbonisation. The green corridor could contribute towards turning this notion into a reality.

Announced green hydrogen projects near the ports of Boegoebaai, Saldanha, and Walvis Bay could meet the corridor’s fuel needs, including its high-demand scenario of 22 bulk carriers per annum by 2035. The possibility of such strong demand levels could mean a stronger business case for green hydrogen producers looking to secure enough offtake volumes to finalise investment decisions and accelerate new projects.

Add in the necessary financing, potential tax incentives, and port tariff discounts for fuel production and bunkering build-out at Freeport Saldanha, and South Africa could gain a competitive edge as an international bunker supplier. The country’s hydrogen sector may be able to contribute 3.6% to the country’s GDP by 2030, with shipping and steel well-positioned to become early offtakers of the gas and its derivatives.

This green shipping corridor offers the opportunity to strengthen South Africa’s export competitiveness, future-proof a strategic port, and support the country’s Just Energy Transition through local value chains, skills development, and community benefits.

Regional and global regulations could materially improve the business case for the corridor. Europe’s FuelEU Maritime greenhouse-gas intensity targets and Emissions Trading System levy, the latter to be fully phased in by 2026, narrow the cost gap between green ammonia and conventional fuels by more than 60% in modelled scenarios.

The International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Net-Zero Framework (NZF), now set to be revisited in 2026 following the decision earlier this month to delay adoption, would further strengthen the case, with fuel standards, emissions targets, and market-based incentives that reward zero-emission fuels.

“With binding global regulations delayed for now, there remains a business case to be made for green ammonia on this corridor,” said Marieke Beckmann, Global Maritime Forum deputy director of decarbonisation. 

“The role of national and local governments becomes increasingly important in incentivising the adoption of scalable zero emission fuels. This, combined with EU measures, will help position South Africa as a competitive supplier of clean maritime fuel.”

The Global Maritime Forum study provides a roadmap to making the corridor operational by 2029, including:

  • Creating an enabling contracting environment to optimally and fairly allocate risks and rewards across the value chain.
  • Engaging with South African government bodies and industry stakeholders to raise awareness of the corridor opportunity and the need for an enabling policy environment, and build momentum around it.
  • Mobilising funding and incentives for corridor infrastructure that will contribute to Saldanha’s hydrogen hub and port development.

If implemented, the South Africa–Europe Iron Ore Green Corridor could become a model for an equitable, commercially viable zero-emission shipping corridor and a catalyst for South Africa’s hydrogen economy to unlock large-scale investment.

Note: The ‘Assessing the feasibility of the South Africa-Europe iron ore green shipping corridor’ study can be downloaded here. 

 

Photo credit: Chris Pagan on Unsplash
Published: 3 November, 2025

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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.

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June 3, 2026

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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

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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.
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May 26, 2026

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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

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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.

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May 22, 2026

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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.

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

 

Photo credit: ITOCHU Corporation
Published: 22 May, 2026

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