Australia Completes First Green Ammonia Bunkering at Port Hedland
Australia has completed its first bunkering of certified green ammonia at the Port of Port Hedland, the iron ore export hub in Western Australia’s Pilbara region on the Indian Ocean coast. On 2 November, a bunker vessel transferred the fuel ship-to-ship to the 300-metre Mineral Europa, described as the world’s first ammonia-powered dry bulk carrier. The ship then loaded iron ore for China.
The operation was carried out by Pilbara Ports, mining company Fortescue, which charters the ship, and owner CMB.TECH. The transfer took about two hours and was confirmed complete at 8:42 am local time.
Because ammonia is highly toxic, the partners planned the job carefully. Preparations included gas dispersion modelling, compatibility checks between the two ships, emergency response planning, vessel vetting, pilotage and towage arrangements, and fixed limits for weather and sea conditions. Pilbara Ports said the trial showed that ammonia bunkering “could be safely planned and conducted” at a major bulk port. The results will now be reviewed.
The trial builds on a smaller ship-to-ship ammonia transfer at nearby Dampier in 2024 and supports plans for a clean fuel bunkering hub in the Pilbara. Fortescue also charters nine other CMB.TECH ships that can be converted to run on ammonia.
For crews, ammonia brings new hazards, as even a small leak can seriously injure people within minutes. Seafarers joining ammonia-fuelled ships will need specific training in fuel handling, gas detection, protective equipment and emergency response, and early operations like this one will help shape those procedures.
