By PortalPortuario Editorial Team
@PortalPortuario
Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) joined the STS ammonia trial which was led and completed by the Global Center for Maritime Decarbonization (GCMD) in Australia.
In the absence of infrastructure for ammonia bunkering, STS transfers offer the closest representation of bunkering operations when they replicate the essential steps involved. With this objective in mind, the test was carried out with a transfer to simulate bunkering at the Dampier Harbour, in the Pilbara region of Australia, an ammonia producing region.
It is also expected to be one of the ammonia bunkering hubs in the near future, taking advantage of the port’s experience with ammonia export. During this trial, two STS transfers of 4,000 cubic meters of ammonia were performed between the LPG/ammonia vessel Green Pioneer of MOL and the Navigator Globalowned by Navigator Gas.
Prior to the trial, together with Yara Clean Ammonia (YCA), the charterer of the Green Pioneer as well as the supplier of the ammonia used in this trial, MOL contributed to having marine experts on board during the trial period to provide technical guidance as a GCMD Impact Partner.
In addition, MOL repeatedly engaged in detailed discussions with GCMD, YCA and other project partners including safety consultants, STS service providers, ports, Australian government agencies, to ensure the safe operation of the STS series.
MOL and Yara Clean Ammonia have been working together since signing a memorandum of understanding on decarbonisation projects, including in the ammonia area in 2022.
These ammonia fuel transfer trials were part of an initiative led by GCMD in collaboration with Partners to enable the use of ammonia as a marine fuel. The consortium conducted risk and safety studies and developed emergency response procedures for the transfers based on the findings and recommendations of GCMD’s 2023 safety study on piloting ammonia fueling and its plans for live operations.
