MPA selects consortium to develop ammonia bunkering in Singapore
Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) and Energy Market Authority (EMA) have appointed a consortium led by asset management firm Keppel to advance the country’s first ammonia bunkering project on Jurong Island.
IMAGE: Jurong Port in Singapore. Facebook of Jurong Port
The Keppel-led group also includes Rotterdam-based storage specialist Advario and Japanese conglomerate Sumitomo Corporation.
The consortium will now carry out a Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) study to outline the project’s technical requirements and cost estimates before a final investment decision can be made. The MPA’s latest move builds on last year’s proposal and pre-FEED study, through which it shortlisted five consortiums to take the project forward.
As part of its role, Sumitomo will assess the requirements to develop at least 100,000 mt/year of ammonia bunkering capacity. Initial operations are expected to begin with truck-to-ship transfers before transitioning to ship-to-ship bunkering, MPA said in October last year.
“We have been intensively exploring ammonia bunkering since 2021, laying the groundwork for the solutions we are now advancing in close partnership with Singapore’s regulators,” said Kazuki Yamaguchi, general manager of maritime energy solution at Sumitomo.
Advario will oversee the development of cryogenic ammonia storage at its Jurong Island terminal. The company already operates tank terminals at the port with a total storage capacity of over 1 million cbm, accessible by barge, truck, vessel and pipeline, according to its website.
The MPA is expected to publish safety and operational standards for ammonia bunkering later this year, with pilot operations planned for 2026.
In addition, Japan's Itochu Corporation plans to deploy an ammonia bunkering vessel in Singapore and trial ship-to-ship ammonia bunkering with Mitsui O.S.K. Lines' ammonia-capable bulk carrier in 2027. It will source the ammonia from L&T Energy GreenTech’s 300,000 mt/year green ammonia plant at Kandla Port in India.
By Konica Bhatt
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