A group of Japanese companies have partnered up to jointly develop ammonia as a marine fuel.
Japanese trading house Itochu, chemicals firm Ube Industries, and shipping firm Uyeno Transtech have agreed to set up a joint venture for supplying ammonia as a marine fuel and the development of a domestic supply chain.
Itochu will be responsible for development and construction of domestic ammonia supply bases and ammonia bunkering vessels for the project. Ube Industries will carry out a study on the supply of ammonia as a marine fuel and development of an onshore supply facility for the joint project. Uyeno Transtech is planning to study development of an ammonia bunkering vessel and safety standards for refuelling of the toxic material.
The Japanese government mapped out plans in February to develop significant ammonia fuelling plans for its utility and shipping sectors with a target to ensure the country’s power and shipping industries are using 30m ton of ammonia by 2050 in line with prime minister Yoshihide Suga’s 2050 carbon neutral ambitions.
