The Week in Alternative Fuels

Here are some key developments in alternative bunker fuels from the past week.

PHOTO: Gunvor concession in the Antwerp port area. Port of Antwerp-Bruges

Ammonia took center stage this week. There has been growing interest from key industry players and ports to collaborate and crack challenges related to ammonia in shipping.

Though ammonia shipping technologies have yet to mature, many experts still believe that ammonia has potential to eventually dominate the marine fuel transition. This has to some extent been reflected in the multiple ammonia projects launched in recent months.

This week, global bunker supplier Monjasa unveiled its plans for a future entry into the ammonia bunkering space. Monjasa has signed a green ammonia offtake agreement with Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) to facilitate bunker supply towards the end of the decade. CIP is currently managing the HØST PtX Esbjerg project, which has set out to build a plant that can produce 600,000 mt/year of green ammonia, of which some of the ammonia will be earmarked for Monjasa.

Another headline-grabber this week, German energy firm Uniper signed an agreement with Indian renewable energy firm Greenko to pursue a potential offtake agreement of 250,000 mt/year of green ammonia. Greenko plans to build a green ammonia production plant in Kakinada on India’s east coast. The green ammonia will be produced with renewable electricity from solar, wind and hydropower.  

German chemical company Linde Engineering entered into an agreement to supply blue hydrogen to OCI's upcoming blue ammonia plant in Beaumont, Texas. Linde will supply blue hydrogen and nitrogen feedstocks to OCI’s plant. The blue hydrogen will be produced using autothermal reforming (ATR) with carbon capture systems (CCS). OCI’s blue ammonia plant is expected to produce 1.1 million mt/year of blue ammonia and could commence operations from first quarter of 2025.

Also this week, Dutch tank storage firm Vopak announced that it has acquired Gunvor's Antwerp refinery and terminal site. Vopak plans to redesign the site into a petrochemical and green energy hub that includes hydrogen transport.

Several shipping firms and organisations have repeatedly urged global authorities and governments to put up funding or subsidies to support decarbonisation efforts, arguing that the industry all alone will be unable to fund the transition.

The UK government said it will allocate £77 million ($93 million) to clean maritime technology, with support to projects such as shore power in ports, electric vessels, wind-assisted ferries and development of vessels that can run on ammonia or hydrogen.

By Nithin Chandran

Here is our selection of five top alternative fuels stories from this week:

Monjasa plans green ammonia bunker supply in northwest Europe

Uniper explores green ammonia offtake from India

Chemical firms partner for blue ammonia production in US Gulf Coast

Vopak, Port of Antwerp-Bruges to redevelop former Gunvor site as green energy hub

UK government allocates £77 million for clean maritime technology