Australian mining group BHP announced it will receive its first ammonia-fueled bulk carrier in 2026 as part of a strategy to reduce shipping emissions, according to Rashpal Singh Bhatti, Vice President of Maritime and Supply Chain Excellence.
BHP shortlisted eight shipbuilding companies for the effort, but it has not yet determined how many ammonia-fueled vessels it plans to order, subject to further cost analysis and safety and technical assessments.
“The proposed ships are likely to refuel ammonia at ports in Australia, Japan, and China. Australia is going to be a very strong hydrogen player or a very strong ammonia player,” said Bhatti, noting that key market players Yara, Mitsui, Sumitom, and JERA are heavily invested in their ammonia and hydrogen strategies.
BHP also intends to use bio-blended fuels to meet European Union shipping emission requirements, following the EU’s expansion of its emissions trading scheme to cover shipping. Bhatti added that additional costs will also be borne by BHP customers, who he said are keen to support this emissions reductions initiative.