Pilbara Ports gears up for 2026 ammonia bunkering

Australia’s Pilbara Ports Authority has confirmed plans to launch ammonia bunkering at the Port of Port Hedland this year.

IMAGE: Aerial view of Port of Port Hedland. Pilbara Ports

The port authority said it will ensure the necessary infrastructure, safety and operational readiness for ammonia bunkering.

Ammonia-capable bulk carriers are expected to visit the port “as early as this year”, it said, and confirmed that Fortescue plans to deploy its recently chartered ammonia-capable vessels at the port after delivery.

The Australian mining company has agreed to charter 12 bulk carriers, each with a capacity of 210,000 dwt, from Bocimar, the dry bulk division of Belgian shipping company CMB.TECH.

Three of these vessels will be ammonia-capable and are expected to be delivered by the end of this year.

The remaining nine vessels will be ammonia-ready and could be retrofitted for ammonia propulsion in the future. CMB.TECH has not specified the level of ammonia readiness or the delivery timelines for these vessels.

By Konica Bhatt

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