IBIA CONVENTION 2025: Ammonia Unlikely Bunker Choice for the Cruise Industry

Bud Darr, CEO of CLIA. Image Credit: Ship & Bunker

The cruise industry is unlikely to adopt ammonia as a marine fuel, largely because of the fuel's toxicity and passenger safety risks, according to Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA).

Bud Darr, CEO of CLIA, said the large number of newbuild orders for cruise ships is still dominated by LNG, with methanol also chipping in, speaking during a panel session at the IBIA Annual Convention 2025 in Hong Kong on Wednesday.

"I'm not hearing anyone in the cruise industry talk seriously about ammonia, Darr.

"And actually, I've been urging my members, and I urge the whole community, don't promote your fuel choice, thinking that's the best answer at the expense of the others."

Ammonia's toxicity remains one of the main reasons for this reluctance. Even limited exposure can pose severe health risks, and leaks can create dangerous concentrations very quickly.

He said the choice of not going with ammonia is not because it is not technically feasible, but because so many people would be placed close to a toxic substance.

"If you look at the formal safety assessment that would be required when you put that much of a toxic substance in very close proximity to a large number of people, which is the business we have, you really would have a hard time coming up with a score that's acceptable."

With ammonia largely ruled out, the industry's focus continues to fall on alternative fuels that can be deployed with a more acceptable safety risk profile.

He added that LNG and bio-LNG, or e-methane, and biomethanol are likely to be primary alternative bunker fuel sources.

"You've really got to think about how quickly can I and what's the pace that makes sense to migrate to a blend of bio or synthetic, and ultimately completely on the bio and synthetic and the same is true with methanol," Darr said.