New Oxford research finds that over 60% of global shipping fuel demands could be met by renewable ammonia in 2050, which can be achieved by targeting renewable ammonia fuel supplies at the “top 10 regional ports”. The team also predicts that conventional maritime fuel production could be replaced by a more “regionalised industry”, producing up to 750 million tons of renewable ammonia per year in tropical and sub-tropical countries.
Mejillones Ammonia Energy will produce 600,000 tons-per-year of solar-powered renewable ammonia for the local and international markets. The first phase is expected to become operational by 2027, delivering 300,000 tons per year of renewable ammonia.
More than €4.7 billion is now available to support the growth of hydrogen derivative imports to the EU. Via its implementation entity Hintco, H2Global has already launched a series of auctions to fund ten-year purchase agreements for methanol, ammonia and SAF.
Enaex and NYK Bulk & Project Carriers will explore the feasibility of supplying renewable ammonia fuel in Mejillones, northern Chile. NYK Bulk and Chilean national copper company Codelco have already signed an MoU to build a fleet of 10-15 ammonia-fueled vessels to transport copper concentrate from Mejillones to key Asian markets.
China is keeping pace with IEA predictions for electrolyzer installations, with as much as 55% of the world’s total capacity to be installed there by 2028. Coupled with strong wind-power resources, domestic manufacturing capabilities and multiple economic drivers to transition away from coal-based ammonia production, China is ideally positioned to speed up the deployment of renewable ammonia projects.
The Bulgarian fertiliser giant will invest €15 million in a 100-strong fleet of ammonia carrying railway cars. Agropolychim anticipates over 250,000 tons per year of low-carbon ammonia from the Middle East to arrive at its import terminal in Varna West every year.
Along with project partner Fluxys, Advario is studying the feasibility of developing an open-access ammonia import terminal at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, with operations to begin in 2027. On a recent tour of Advario facilities in Belgium, Hydrogen Council representatives noted an “impressive” approach to safety in ammonia transition plans.
A new roadmap from the Institute for Sustainable Process Technology (ISPT) has set a number of key drivers and enablers for ammonia imports of up to 25 million tons per year in the Antwerpen-Rotterdam-Rijn-Ruhr area by 2030. Public acceptance, a careful approach to safety and environmental concerns, regulatory updates and new ammonia pipelines will all be needed.
International crude oil giant Euronav and CMB.TECH will merge to form a new clean shipping entity. The future fleet will feature nearly one hundred ammonia-fueled ships, including Ultramaxes, large-scale container vessels, long-range carriers and chemical tankers. Further details have also emerged about CMB.TECH’s ammonia fuel production project in Namibia, which is targeting a yearly production capacity of 185,000 tonnes of ammonia fuel by 2028.