On 14 September 2024, after four days of operations at the anchorage of Port Dampier, GCMD, together with our partners, successfully and safely completed ship-to-ship transfers of 2,700 tonnes of ammonia between MOL’s Green Pioneer and Navigator Gas’ Navigator Global, at a flow rate of 700 – 800 cubic meters per hour.
This pilot marks a crucial step towards readying the ecosystem for using ammonia as a marine fuel, paving the way for eventual bunkering when ammonia-fuelled vessels become available. Some of these procedures had never been performed before, marking a world’s first to mimic actual ammonia bunkering.
This video details the steps taken to prepare for the transfer including:
Pre-transfer and transfer operations
- Nitrogen leak test
- Ammonia first and return transfer
Post transfer operations
- Hot gassing
- Nitrogen blow through
- Nitrogen purging
Safety protocols
- Light chemical suits, nitrile gloves and boots
- Personal ammonia detectors to be worn at all times
Video with English subtitles
Video with Chinese subtitles
For more information on the ammonia transfer trial, please refer to the following resources:
Press release
Infographic – Overview of the ship-to-ship ammonia transfers in Pilbara Ports
Infographic – Executing ammonia transfers in the Pilbara