Sumitomo looks to ammonia-fueled shipping & bunker fuels
By on January 12, 2022
Ammonia-fueled dry bulk carrier
Sumitomo and Oshima Shipbuilding will jointly design & develop an 80,000 m3, ammonia-fueled dry bulk carrier. The pair have been constructing and selling bulk carriers since 1973, and their first ammonia-fueled version is set to hit the water by 2025. Sumitomo will own and operate the vessel, as well an ensuring a reliable supply of ammonia fuel.
Sumitomo’s interest in the ammonia fuel supply chain is not new. In March 2021 they were a founding member of a high-powered consortium looking at launching an ammonia supply business to fuel ships in Singapore. The work continues, but a separate MoU signed this week brings commercial ammonia fuel bunkering one step closer…
MoU with Keppel Offshore & Marine
Sumitomo and Keppel O&M will work together to implement ammonia fuel bunkering in Singapore, with the aim to begin commercial operations in the mid-2020s. Central to this is the development of an ammonia bunkering vessel, and the development of a full value chain local to Singapore.
The MoU announcement also indicates the pair will be working on a novel application for ammonia: offshore power generation. Singapore’s green energy needs will only increase in the future, but extremely limited land availability presents a unique challenge. Ammonia cracking to provide hydrogen fuel is also part of the planned future value chain.
