MOL joins Australian partners in advancing low-emission ammonia bunkering

Japan’s shipping giant Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has shaken hands with two Australia-based companies, NH3 Clean Energy and Oceania Marine Energy, to embark on the two maritime players’ low-emission ammonia bunkering initiative.

As disclosed, the three partners signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) regarding the development of clean ammonia bunkering operations in the Pilbara region of Western Australia on October 7.

The agreement reportedly makes MOL the ‘first’ ocean-going maritime transport company to participate in this endeavor.

According to MOL, the tripartite effort will involve collaborating on the transition of iron ore carriers in the Pilbara region—the home to the ‘world’s largest’ iron ore export port and a major port of call for Capesize bulkers—to ammonia fuel and the realization of the WAH2 project.

The WAH2 project is NH3’s flagship effort that aims to supply low-emission ammonia to the decarbonizing economies of the Asia Pacific, such as Japan and South Korea, and to act as a source of decarbonized bunker fuel for bulk carriers transporting iron ore from Australia to Asia.

The cooperation will also see the three parties examine safety issues pertaining to ammonia bunkering operations.

As informed, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines is set to jointly own a trio of ammonia dual-fuel Capesize bulk carriers with Belgium-headquartered shipowner CMB.TECH. The units, to be chartered by MOL’s Singapore-based arm MOL Chemical Tankers (MOLCT), are planned to be delivered by China State Shipbuilding Corporation’s (CSSC) Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding sometime between 2026 and 2027.

The charter contract, penned in March this year, is described as being part of MOL’s effort to establish a fleet of vessels of this type on the West Australia-East Asia trade route, with the all-embracing goal to ensure ‘safe’ ammonia bunkering operations, on top of the very procurement of this increasingly popular clean fuel, especially in Pilbara.

To remind, Pilbara Ports Authority entered into a joint development agreement with NH3 Clean Energy, which is to supply blue ammonia, and Oceania Marine Energy, which will operate the bunkering business, to realize low-carbon ammonia bunkering in the region in June 2025.

As noted at the time, the ambition of the project is to kickstart bunkering operations for Capesize bulkers at the ports of Dampier and Port Hedland by 2030.

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