Yara Clean Ammonia (YCA) completed the world’s first ship-to-ship transfer of ammonia using vessels in a working port environment. The transfer signifies a step toward realizing ammonia, including low-carbon ammonia, as a shipping fuel, YCA said.
The transfer was done at Port Dampier in Western Australia’s Pilbara region as a collaboration between YCA, Pilbara Ports Authority, and the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonization. The transfers were done between the Green Pioneer, a 35,000 cubic meter ammonia carrier owned by MOL, and the Navigator Global, a 22,500 cubic meter ammonia vessel owned Navigator Gas.
The work highlights the Pilbara’s potential as a bunkering hub to fuel ships with low-emission ammonia. The region was deemed economically and operationally viable for safe ammonia bunkering, according to a study completed by Lloyd’s Register that was commissioned by YCA and Pilbara Ports (GM Nov. 10, 2023).
YCA was also allocated land in the region by the Western Australia Government near Karratha which is near Yara International’s Yara Pilbara Ammonia operations (GM May 26, 2023).