Successful ammonia bunkering pilot shows that the Port of Rotterdam’s “governance, safety and infrastructure” are in place for the first ammonia bunker deliveries, expected in 2026–2027,” a spokesperson for the port authority told ENGINE.

IMAGE: STS ammonia transfer between Gas Utopia and Ocean Moon in Port of Rotterdam. YouTube of Port of Rotterdam

The port of Rotterdam recently completed a ship-to-ship (STS) transfer of 800 cbm of liquid ammonia at -33°C between the chemical tanker Ocean Moon and the LPG tanker Gas Utopia.

“The vessels were equipped ‘as if’ it was a bunker operation” to validate that bunkering can be done safely and without releasing ammonia emissions, the spokesperson told ENGINE.

The overall operation clocked two and a half hours, which is comparable to LNG bunkering “in terms of speed, complexity and safety protocols, taking into consideration the differences between LNG and ammonia,” the spokesperson added.

Dutch ammonia producer OCI Global supplied the grey ammonia used for the trial.

This trial, conducted in a controlled environment, marks the sixth of nine steps in the port's readiness assessment, according to Cees Boon, senior safety advisor at Port of Rotterdam. “That means we have already developed our safety framework. We know all the safety conditions applicable to safe bunkering in a port. We know where we can allow the bunkering."

The port's ammonia bunkering readiness level has now reached seven, which means all safety procedures are now in place to allow bunkering “on a project basis” in an operational setting, Boon added.

It was intended to "validate everything that is arranged" ahead of the first ammonia bunker deliveries, expected between 2026 and 2027, according to the spokesperson.

This timeline aligns with the expected delivery of ammonia-capable vessels.

According to classification society DNV, there are currently three retrofitted ammonia-capable tugboats in operation, with 22 newbuilds scheduled for delivery in 2026. The global fleet is expected to reach 33 vessels by 2029.

Some other ports are also preparing for ammonia bunkering. The Singapore port authority plans to launch commercial operations next year, following successful trials in 2024. An STS transfer was also completed at Australia’s Port of Dampier, laying the groundwork for future operations. Chinese energy major Sinopec also reported an ammonia bunkering operation in China, though details remain limited.

By Konica Bhatt

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