China’s first domestic ammonia bunkering operation completed

China Shipping & Sinopec Suppliers, a bunker trading company backed by Sinopec and COSCO Shipping, has completed China’s first-ever ammonia bunkering operation.

The bunkering operation involved refueling ammonia-powered tugboat Yuantuo 1 which was developed as part of COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry’s project “R&D and Demonstration Application of Ammonia-powered Dual-fuel Engine and Supply System”.

The milestone truck-to-ship operation was conducted on December 24, 2024, at Dalian COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry which has built the demonstration tugboat.

“The successful bunkering has effectively tested the integrity and efficiency of the company’s bunkering equipment system, gathered valuable knowledge and experience for the deployment of ammonia fuel in large vessels,” COSCO Shipping said in a brief social media update.

Yunatuo 1 is China’s first ammonia/diesel dual-fuel-powered azimuth-stern drive (ASD) tug with a power output of 5500HP.

The 39-meter-long vessel is equipped with two C-type liquid ammonia storage tanks, an ammonia-diesel dual-fuel engine developed by Dalian CRRC Diesel Engine Co., and an ammonia fuel supply system by COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry Technology (Weihai) Co.

The ammonia-fueled vessel and ammonia supply system designs were awarded approvals in principle (AiPs) from classification societies ABS  and CCS.

As the shipping industry continues exploring ammonia as a marine fuel, several bunkering developments and milestones were reached last year.

In March 2024, Australia’s green energy firm Fortescue conducted what was described as the world’s first ammonia bunkering using Fortescue Green Pioneer in the Port of Singapore.

During the summer of 2024, Japanese companies JERA and NYK Line fueled the tugboat which was converted from LNG to an ammonia-powered engine in the “world’s first” truck-to-ship bunkering of ammonia and classification society American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) issued the maritime industry’s first guidance focused on ammonia bunkering.

Approval for the construction of the world’s first ammonia bunkering facility at Fjord Base in Florø, planned by Yara Clean Ammonia, Azane, and Fjord Base was also granted last year.