China has completed its first domestic ammonia bunkering operation, according to local media reports.
The stem took place on December 24 and saw Sinopec Chimbusco (Liaoning), a subsidiary of China Shipping & Sinopec Suppliers Co., Ltd, supply an unspecified amount of fuel to ammonia-powered tugboat Yuantuo No. 1 at the COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry (Dalian) dockyard.
The operation is notable as ammonia is considered one of the leading candidates to play a key role in the future marine fuel mix.
However, uptake of ammonia currently lags far behind that of LNG and methanol, with Yuantuo one of only a handful of vessels currently in existence capable of burning ammonia as marine fuel.
