The ship that grabbed headlines at COP28 in Dubai is back in the news. The Fortescue Green Pioneer, a platform supply vessel, has successfully conducted the world’s first use of ammonia fuel, in combination with diesel in the combustion process. The vessel was loaded with liquid ammonia from the existing ammonia facility at Vopak Banyan Terminal on Jurong Island in Singapore for the fuel trial.
The Fortescue Green Pioneer started its journey towards becoming the world’s first ocean-going ammonia-powered vessel in 2022 when Fortescue successfully converted a four-stroke engine to run on ammonia. The ship then went in for conversion at Seatrium’s Benoi yard in Singapore last year with two of its four engines switched to ammonia ones.
Only green is green. Anything else is made from fossil fuels
It then headed to Dubai, to COP28, albeit with diesel fuel. At the UN green summit Fortescue boss Andrew Forrest hit out at the slow pace of change for authorities to approve
“At the moment the regulatory landscape does not allow for ammonia ships to operate,” Forrest said at the time.
The fuel trial conducted this year in Singapore over a period of seven weeks included rigorous testing of the Fortescue Green Pioneer’s ammonia storage systems, associated piping, gas fuel delivery system, retrofitted engines, and seaworthiness.
The three tonnes of liquid ammonia used for the fuel trial was supplied by Vopak. A second tranche of three tonnes of liquid ammonia will be loaded for the Fortescue Green Pioneer to conduct further tests and trials over the next few weeks.
“The successful conduct of this ammonia fuel trial on board the Fortescue Green Pioneer marks a significant milestone in Singapore’s multi-fuel bunkering capability development to support the digitalisation, decarbonisation, and manpower development for international shipping,” stated a release from the Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) of Singapore.
MPA and Fortescue will present key learning points from the trials at suitable platforms in the future with many shipyards in Asia now engaged in the construction of ammonia-powered newbuilds.
Forrest, Fortescue’s chairman, said, “Australia and Singapore are nations for whom the seas are our lifeblood and Fortescue has seen firsthand the willingness of Singapore to lead the world in taking brave, innovative action to build green ammonia shipping. My message to the Singaporean government is only green is green. Anything else is made from fossil fuels.”
As he did at COP 28 in Dubai, Forrest once again called on the world’s ports to get on with setting” fair, safe and stringent” fuel standards for green ammonia.
“We must push to see global emitters paying fair carbon prices for heavy fuels used in traditional shipping. These prices must provide clear investment signals to drive green investment,” Forrest argued.
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