JERA and NYK complete ‘world’s first’ truck-to-ship ammonia bunkering

Japanese companies JERA and NYK Line have conducted the world’s first truck-to-ship bunkering of ammonia to an ammonia-fueled tugboat, which is scheduled to become the world’s first commercially operated ammonia-fueled ship upon completion at the end of August 2024.

The bunkering of the ammonia-fueled tugboat, also known as A-Tug, took place on July 7 at Yokohama Port’s Honmoku Pier with the cooperation of the Yokohama City Port and Harbor Bureau.

The operation was carried out under the fuel supply agreement that JERA concluded with NYK in late May 2024.

The bunkered fuel ammonia was produced by Resonac at its Kawasaki Plant in part using waste plastic as a raw material, and the same fuel ammonia will also be used going forward for the A-Tug’s sea trial.

After the A-Tug is completed, JERA will supply fuel ammonia to its operator, Shin-Nippon Kaiyosha Corporation.

As part of the agreement from 2023, JERA, NYK, and Resonac studied the establishment of safe methods for handling fuel ammonia and the creation of systems for transporting it to and receiving it at port areas, while also liaising with related parties about developing rules related to its supply to ships.

NYK started the conversion of the LNG-fueled tugboat Sakigake to an ammonia-fueled tugboat at Oppama factory of Keihin Dock Co. in October 2023.

The project covers the replacement of the entire engine, including the main engine and fuel tank, requiring the engine room to be cut to remove the existing LNG-fueled equipment and install the new ammonia-fueled machinery.

The ammonia-powered engine, jointly developed with IHI Power Systems and ClassNK as part of the Green Innovation Fund Project within Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), was delivered to NYK on February 1, 2024.