Americas News
Maersk, ABS Among 8 Players Looking to Establish Green Ammonia Bunkering on US East Coast
American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and A.P. Moller – Maersk are among a group of eight industry stakeholders looking to establish green ammonia ship-to-ship bunkering on the US East Coast.
The group, that also includes Fleet Management Limited, Georgia Ports Authority, Maersk Mc-Kinney Moller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping, Savage Services, Sumitomo Corporation, and TOTE Services, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to jointly conduct a feasibility study to be conducted at the Port of Savannah.
While uptake of ammonia bunkers is currently lagging other candidates, such as methanol, that are all vying to be part of the future marine fuel mix, it is nevertheless tipped to play a major role in the future.
The study aims to cover the entire end-to-end supply chain of ammonia bunkering, which includes the development of a cost-effective green ammonia supply chain, the design of an Ammonia Bunkering Articulated Tug-Barge (AB-ATB), as well as related supply chain infrastructure.
"For now, green methanol is the only pathway that is certain to have material impact in this decade, and we are happy to see the momentum that is building in the shipping industry on this pathway," said Morten Bo Christiansen, Head of Energy Transition at A.P. Moller-Maersk, whose company ordered its first methanol fuelled vessels in 2021 with expected delivery from this year.
"However, given the enormity of the challenge ahead of us, we must keep exploring additional new fuel pathways. We see green ammonia as a fuel with potential in the long term for commercial shipping.
"However, safety and environmental challenges related to ammonia's toxicity must be addressed in the short term, and we must get a solid understanding of the cost of bunkering ammonia. This study will help our industry better understand the full spectrum of practical and safety considerations when dealing with green ammonia as a fuel."
