The world’s first ship-to-ship ammonia transfer in a working port environment has been successfully completed, marking a significant step towards establishing ammonia as a viable shipping fuel and supporting the development of ammonia bunkering worldwide. Yara Clean Ammonia, a global leader in ammonia handling, contributed its expertise to ensure the safe transfer of ammonia during this milestone event. The ammonia was supplied by a vessel from Yara’s Time Charter fleet and used in the transfer operation.

Murali Srinivasan, senior vice president of commercial at Yara Clean Ammonia, emphasised the importance of this achievement in decarbonising the shipping industry. “This demonstrates that ammonia transfer can be done with the highest safety standards and efficiency,” Srinivasan said. He added that ammonia, a low-emission fuel, will be key to reducing shipping’s carbon footprint.

The Green Pioneer and the Navigator Global with ex-AMSA anchor handling tug supply vessel, Coral Knight, and Rio Tinto tugboats at the outer anchorage of Port Dampier-2

The transfer took place at Port Dampier, in Western Australia’s Pilbara region, as part of an initiative by Yara Clean Ammonia, the Pilbara Ports Authority, and the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation. The operation involved two vessels, the Green Pioneer and the Navigator Global, transferring approximately 2,715 tonnes of ammonia. This trial is expected to pave the way for future ammonia bunkering operations, crucial to decarbonising global shipping and meeting the International Maritime Organisation targets.

The success of this project demonstrates the potential for ammonia as a sustainable fuel in the maritime sector, a critical step in the industry’s transition towards lower emissions. Yara Pilbara’s chief operations officer, Laurent Trost, highlighted the significance of this milestone as part of broader decarbonisation efforts, including the Project Yuri hydrogen plant currently under construction, which will contribute green molecules to ammonia production.

The operation further solidifies the role of ammonia as a clean fuel, advancing the efforts of Yara and its partners to develop the infrastructure necessary for widespread ammonia use in shipping.