Japanese firms start truck-to-ship ammonia bunkering

A Japanese cross-industry group has started trial supplies of fuel ammonia to a tugboat from a tanker truck, ahead of an official commissioning scheduled for late August.

The group comprises shipping firm NYK Line and its subsidiary Shin-Nippon Kaiyosha, power producer Jera and ammonia producer Resonac. The companies have jointly studied the possible setting up ammonia bunkering for tugboats since December 2023.

Jera supplied the marine ammonia to NYK on 17 July to fuel the NYK-owned tugboat A-Tug at Yokohama port. The ammonia was transported by a tanker truck and fuelled by truck-to-ship operations, which the group said is the world's first attempt.

A-Tug is expected to begin normal operations in late August, behind an initial target of June because of technical delays. Jera after the commissioning will supply the marine ammonia to Shin-Nippon Kaiyosha, which will be in charge of operating the tugboat at Yokoyama and Kawasaki ports in Tokyo bay.

Jera is buying from Resonac an unspecified volume of low-carbon ammonia, which is partly derived from waste plastics. Ammonia consumption of the tugboat was undisclosed. But bunkering is scheduled to be done twice a month by an 8-10t tanker truck, Jera said.

By Motoko Hasegawa