China achieves world's first ship-to-ship green ammonia bunkering

The world's first ship-to-ship bunkering operation of green ammonia was successfully completed on Tuesday at an anchorage in Zhoushan, East China's Zhejiang province, marking a historic milestone in the global maritime industry's transition toward zero-carbon shipping.

During the operation, the Shenghang Yongle — the world's first dedicated liquid ammonia bunkering vessel — transferred 1,000 metric tons of green ammonia to a 210,000-ton ammonia-powered bulk carrier, according to China Energy Engineering Corp.

Following the bunkering, the bulk carrier will set sail across the Pacific Ocean to Australia to commence its commercial voyage, it said.

"This operation marks the first complete integration of the entire supply chain for green ammonia as a marine fuel — spanning production, storage, transportation, bunkering, and application," Li Jingguang, chairman of CEEC Hydrogen Energy Co Ltd, said.

Li added that the breakthrough signifies China's green ammonia industry is officially moving from the "small-scale demonstration" phase into "commercialized, normalized operations”.

The green ammonia utilized in this operation was entirely sourced from CEEC’s "Qingqing No 1" Songyuan Hydrogen Energy Industrial Park—an integrated green hydrogen, ammonia, and methanol project in Northeast China's Jilin province.

The achievement comes at a critical time for the global maritime sector. As the International Maritime Organization pushes toward its net-zero emission targets, the shipping industry's demand for zero-carbon alternative fuels is rapidly shifting from being policy-driven to a rigid market necessity.

Industry insiders noted that green ammonia is highly regarded as one of the most commercially viable zero-carbon fuels for ocean-going shipping. It can be produced on a massive scale using wind, solar, water, and air, achieving near-zero carbon emissions throughout its life cycle.

Furthermore, it boasts high volumetric energy density, is easy to liquefy and transport, and can be seamlessly integrated into existing hazardous chemical storage and transportation infrastructure.

"This bunkering operation proves that China now has the capability to mass-produce green ammonia that meets international standards and construct a cross-regional green energy supply chain," Li noted.

"It demonstrates the advantages of China's green ammonia in terms of its environmental attributes, cost competitiveness, and the maturity of its supporting industrial chain. It also accumulates valuable experience for future milestones, such as the operation of ammonia storage tanks at Liaoning's Panjin Port and the establishment of a large-scale commercial logistics system for direct maritime supply," Li said.

zhengxin@chinadaily.com.cn