A trial off Singapore has potentially paved the way for ammonia to be used as a fuel source for global maritime trade.
A large part of miners' Scope 3 emissions come from shipping minerals to customers so finding cleaner fuels would be to their' benefit.
Ammonia is being viewed as a transition fuel to greener alternatives, although at the moment it needs to be used in combination with diesel.
Learnings from the trial will help inform the crew training, and emergency and bunkering procedures needed for the fuel.
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Several dual-fueled ammonia vessels have been ordered by shipowners.
Fortescue Metals Group is claiming a world-first use of ammonia as a maritime fuel, in combination with diesel, aboard the Singapore-flagged vessel Fortescue Green Pioneer in the Port of Singapore.
The Fortescue Green Pioneer is a former offshore supply vessel built in 2010 that was retrofitted by FMG engineers. They first converted a four-stroke engine to run on ammonia combined with diesel at FMG's land-based testing facility in Perth, Western Australia.
Following the success of the land-based testing conversion work began on the vessel at Seatrium's Benoi yard in Singapore, which included the installation of the gas fuel delivery system, safety systems and infrastructure, and the conversion of two of the vessel's four engines to use a diesel-ammonia combination to power the vessel. The other two engines will operate on conventional fuels when required.
In December the vessel sailed from Singapore to the Middle East for COP28.
The fuel trial off Singapore was conducted over seven weeks. It included testing the Fortescue Green Pioneer's ammonia storage systems, associated piping, gas fuel delivery system, retrofitted engines and seaworthiness.
The two four-stroke retrofitted engines are designed to serve as a proxy for the commercialisation of ammonia-fueled engines under development globally.
The post-combustion nitrogen oxide levels met local air quality standards.
Efforts to reduce the pilot fuel for combustion ignition and nitrous oxide emissions post-combustion will continue as more ammonia-fueled marine engines and low-carbon ammonia sources become available.
Maritime Port Authority of Singapore chief executive Teo Dih said the safe conduct of the fuel trial supported the holistic assessment of the use of ammonia as a marine fuel and the development of standards and safety procedures.
FMG chairman Andrew Forrest said the Fortescue Green Pioneer was proof that safe, technical solutions for ammonia power engines existed.
He argues, however, that if ammonia is to be used as a fuel source, it is pointless creating that ammonia using fossil fuels.
"We must push to see global emitters paying fair carbon prices for heavy fuels used in traditional shipping," Forrest said.
"These prices must provide clear investment signals to drive green investment."
