First Commercial Bunkering of Ammonia Completed on Exmar Ship in Ulsan
The emerging market for ammonia-fueled commercial shipping achieved its next milestone with the first-ever port-to-ship bunkering on an ocean-going vessel. Previously, the only bunkering had been done as demonstrations, while extensive work has been underway by port authorities, classification societies, and others to develop the processes for safely handling highly toxic ammonia as a marine fuel.
The Ulsan Port Authority (UPA) in South Korea announced that the first ammonia bunkering operation had been carried out on April 23. The gas tanker Antwerpen, built by HD Hyundai as the first in a series of vessels for Exmar, achieved the milestone.
The bunkering operation took place at Pier 2 of Ulsan Main Port, where Lotte Fine Chemical, designated as the sustainable marine fuel supply demonstration operator, supplied approximately 600 tons of clean ammonia via the port-to-ship method.
“This world-first ammonia bunkering operation was made possible by Ulsan Port’s advanced energy infrastructure and accumulated bunkering expertise,” said Byun Jae-young, President of UPA. “It is a meaningful milestone that demonstrates the port’s readiness to support a range of major sustainable marine fuels.
To enable this milestone, the Ulsan Port Authority reports it signed a Memorandum of Understanding in January 2024 to promote the ammonia bunkering industry. Since then, it has worked closely with key stakeholders across the ammonia value chain, including Korean Register (KR), Lotte Fine Chemical, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, and HMM, covering policy and regulation, port infrastructure, vessel readiness, and fuel supply.
The 46,000 cubic meter gas carrier continues to mark milestones in the development of this new segment. The ship was ordered in 2023 and named during a ceremony earlier in April at the HD Hyundai shipyard. It measures 190 meters (623 feet) in length and was specifically designed for the transport of liquefied gas cargoes, including ammonia and LPG. It can also use its cargo, including the ammonia, as its fuel.
The Antwerpen remains on the dock in Ulsan while her sister ship, Arlon, is completing sea trials. The second ship is scheduled to be delivered to Exmar in June.
To prepare for the bunkering, Lotte Fine Chemical announced in March that it had completed the world’s first commercial import of green ammonia. It was the first cross-border trade of green ammonia. The imported green ammonia was entirely produced using 100 percent renewable energy (wind and solar power) at the world’s largest green hydrogen and ammonia production complex developed by Envision and located in Inner Mongolia, China.
that matters most
Get the latest maritime news delivered to your inbox daily.
Lotte developed storage capabilities for the green ammonia at the Port of Ulsan. It said that it planned to use it to meet the growing demand for carbon-free energy applications, including ammonia marine bunkering, co-firing power generation, and as a hydrogen carrier.
The first ammonia bunkering for a vessel took place in Singapore in early 2024 and involved three tonnes of liquid ammonia loaded from Vopak’s Banyan Terminal on Jurong Island in Singapore. It was placed aboard Fortescue’s converted offshore supply vessel, which was rechristened Fortescue Green Pioneer and began ammonia demonstration in 2024. The only other vessels currently able to operate on ammonia are two tugboats, with Japan also reporting ammonia bunkering from tank trucks to NYK’s Sakigake, a tug that was converted from LNG to ammonia as part of an ongoing demonstration of the future marine fuel.