Photo credit: Höegh Autoliners / Fortescue
Norway’s roro Höegh Autoliners has joined forces with the Australian technology, energy and metals group Fortescue to explore the technical and commercial requirements for a green ammonia supply chain for bunkering.
The two partners also call on global shipping regulators to fast-track the adoption of green ammonia as they claim, ‘only green ammonia can help reduce carbon emissions in shipping’.
“There are so many transition fuels that are being peddled out there, but they are just a distraction. Only green ammonia can help us reduce carbon emissions in shipping and in turn can help us address the worst impacts of climate change,” highlighted the chief executive of Fortescue Energy.
The chief executive also highlighted that the industry needs early incentives for hydrogen derived fuels – specifically ammonia for 2030 – otherwise, as he said, “we are kicking the can down the road and leaving too large a scale up for the 2040s.”
He insisted that the ongoing IMO greenhouse gas reduction debate must result in a clear, robust regulatory framework. “Shipping is a global industry with a global regulator and today the industry is at a crossroads,” he said.
In a panel at the UNGC pavilion at COP29 Azerbaijan, the two parties committed to “working together to explore the technical and commercial requirements for a green ammonia supply chain for bunkering, from Fortescue’s proposed global portfolio of projects to Höegh Autoliners’ global bunkering.”
Höegh Autoliners, having aurora class ammonia-ready vessels in its fleet portfolio, said in a social media post in LinkedIn that it is proud to join forces with Fortescue.
From his side Andreas Enger, chief executive officer of Höegh Autoliners, emphasised the fact that deep-sea transportation is the single most pollutive part of shipping, and accounts for 90 percent of all maritime emissions.
As he said: “Decarbonizing the deep-sea segment is imperative to achieve the International Maritime Organisation’s net zero by 2050 goal for a 1.5C-aligned pathway. Partnering with Fortescue is another milestone on our path to net zero. And a reiteration to our commitment to sailing for sustainability.
“With this partnership, we are removing carbon from one of the hardest-to-abate sectors, sending a strong demand signal for green ammonia down the value chain. Together, we are making sustainable shipping doable, accelerating the green transition within our industry, and setting a whole new standard for deep-sea shipping.”
