On October 13, 2026, the world’s first commercial ship-to-ship bunkering of green ammonia fuel was completed at an anchorage in Zhoushan Port, Zhejiang Province, China. A total of 1,000 tonnes of green ammonia from the HyFlow-1 Songyuan Hydrogen Energy Industrial Park project, of China Energy Engineering Group (Energy China), was loaded through the dedicated liquid ammonia bunkering vessel Shenghang Yongle onto Mineral Europa, an ammonia-powered ship owned by Belgium’s CMB.TECH. After bunkering, the latter will leave Zhoushan and cross the Pacific to Australia for commercial service.

The operation was carried out jointly by Energy China Hydrogen Energy Co., Ltd., Belgium’s CMB.TECH and Jiangsu Andefu Energy Technology Co., Ltd. Green ammonia has now been commercially deployed across the entire deep-sea shipping value chain for the first time. The process spans production, storage, transport, bunkering and onboard use. This milestone offers a real-world model for scaling up the use of green marine fuels.

From Green Energy Production to Ocean-Going Shipping

All the green ammonia used came from Energy China’s integrated green hydrogen, ammonia and methanol project in Songyuan, Jilin Province. Phase I of the project entered formal operation in December 2025. It converts wind and solar power into green marine fuel through renewable power generation, water electrolysis for hydrogen, and green ammonia synthesis. The project has obtained ISCC EU RFNBO certification and has secured a sales contract for green ammonia for ocean-going shipping.

This batch of green ammonia left Songyuan by road to the tank farm at Nanjing Port. It was then carried by Shenghang Yongle to Zhoushan Port before being bunkered ship-to-ship at sea.

China has thus, for the first time, established a complete green ammonia supply chain, spanning production, road transport, port storage, waterway transport and offshore bunkering, with carbon emissions tracked throughout.

To date, 7,000 tonnes of green ammonia produced by the Songyuan project have reached the Nanjing Port tank farm and will be bunkered in batches as planned. This supply chain model has given China practical experience in bringing green ammonia into the international shipping market and exploring a cross-regional green energy logistics system.

Dedicated Bunkering Facilities Underpin Commercialization

Green ammonia is considered a potential alternative fuel for decarbonizing ocean shipping because it produces no direct carbon dioxide emissions during combustion and can be made using renewable energy. However, ammonia’s toxicity places stringent demands on safety management, specialized equipment and operating procedures for storage, transport and ship bunkering.

To make the operation possible, Jiangsu Andefu Energy Technology obtained a liquid ammonia bunkering license from the Zhoushan municipal government in May 2026. In August of the same year, Shenghang Yongle completed its conversion for bunkering functions and was assigned the class notation “Ammonia Bunkering” by China Classification Society (CCS), as recorded on its Classification Certificate. This provided the necessary qualifications and facilities for the ship-to-ship bunkering operation. Relevant government departments in Zhoushan also provided coordination support for the operation.

The operation achieved several industry firsts, including the world’s first commercial ship-to-ship green ammonia bunkering at anchorage, the world’s first dedicated ammonia bunkering vessel placed in service, and the world’s first license for ship-to-ship liquid ammonia bunkering put into use.

International Cooperation Advancing Green Marine Fuels

CMB.TECH, the buyer of the fuel in this bunkering, owns a variety of ocean-going vessels and continues to expand its ammonia-powered fleet. According to project materials, the group has ordered 28 ammonia-powered ships of 210,000 tonnes, providing potential market demand for ammonia fuel in ocean-going transport.

As the shipping industry keeps exploring low- and zero-carbon fuels, commercializing green ammonia requires not only stable green production capacity but also coordinated development of cross-regional transport, port storage, specialized bunkering facilities and ship propulsion technology. This bunkering links green ammonia producers, supply chain service providers and an international shipping company, and validates a commercial pathway for green ammonia from factory to ocean-going routes.

From Songyuan to Nanjing Port, then to Zhoushan and onward to international routes, the operation demonstrates China’s ability to coordinate green hydrogen and ammonia production, supply chain organization and marine fuel bunkering. It also offers a practical example for the international shipping industry as it explores alternative fuels and advances the green transition.

Contacts

Company: China Energy Engineering Group Co., Ltd

Contact Person: Zhang Shuo

Email: szhang0020@ceec.net.cn
Website: https://en.ceec.net.cn/
City: Beijing