Fortescue and Cosco want to include ammonia in future fuel mix

Australian mining giant Fortescue and Chinese shipping company Cosco will explore the construction of ammonia-capable vessels.

PHOTO: Fortescue's offshore supply vessel, Fortescue Green Pioneer. Fortescue

The duo aims to build ammonia-capable vessels to reduce well-to-wake greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while transporting iron ore and other mineral products via the Australia-China Iron Ore Green Shipping Corridor.

“This collaboration builds on Fortescue’s research and development to decarbonise shipping, having developed a green ammonia capable ship engine,” the company said.

Fortescue tested liquid ammonia as bunker fuel on one of its vessels, Fortescue Green Pioneer, in two separate trials in Singapore earlier this year. In one trial, it used diesel as a pilot fuel, and in the other trial, it used biofuel blend of hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO) and diesel. However, the pilot fuel-to-ammonia ratio was not specified.

The Fortescue Green Pioneer is equipped with four engines, two of which are retrofitted dual-fuel engines that can run on both ammonia and conventional marine fuels. The vessel has also received a gas-fuelled ammonia notation from classification society DNV.

By Konica Bhatt

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