Sinobunker, one of COSCO Shipping’s subsidiaries, has completed the world’s first green ammonia bunkering operation at COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry’s Dalian terminal.
The ammonia was sourced from the world’s largest green hydrogen and ammonia plant established by Envision in Chifeng and powered entirely by the world’s largest independent renewable energy system.
The plant integrates wind, solar and energy storage with proprietary hydrogen and ammonia production technologies. It is powered by a proprietary AI-integrated off-grid renewable system, featuring advanced wind turbines, grid-forming battery storage and predictive meteorological modeling. This system dynamically balances wind and solar input with electrolyzer and ammonia synthesis demands, ensuring continuous, cost-effective green fuel production without grid reliance.
The site has received ISCC Plus certification for international sustainable development, and the industrial park is projected to produce 1.5 million tons of green ammonia per year by 2028.
The ammonia supplied became the first green ammonia product in the world to receive the renewable ammonia certification from Bureau Veritas.
The port tugboat that received the green ammonia fuel is equipped an independently developed ammonia dual-fuel engine and a dedicated fuel supply system. The vessel achieves an ammonia substitution rate of up to 91%, significantly reducing reliance on traditional fossil fuels and effectively cutting carbon emissions during operations. This vessel has obtained the “Ammonia Fuel Tug” classification from China Classification Society.
The news follows the order last month by Singapore-based ITOCHU Corporation for a 5,000m3 ammonia bunkering vessel from Sasaki Shipbuilding and an ammonia tank from Izumi Steel Works. The world’s first newbuilding ammonia bunkering vessel is to be flagged under the Singapore Registry and is expected to be delivered in September 2027.
In September 2024 world’s first ship-to-ship transfer of ammonia at the Port of Dampier, Australia, involving the transfer of 4,000 cubic meters (approximately 2,700 tonnes) of ammonia. The trial, which was a partnership between Pilbara Ports, the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) and Yara Clean Ammonia was a significant step in demonstrating the possibility of safely bunkering ammonia at anchorages in a port environment.