Yara Clean Ammonia Switzerland SA, a subsidiary of Yara International ASA, one of the world’s largest ammonia distributors, has signed a time-charter contract with Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) for an ammonia-fueled medium gas carrier.
This vessel, with a capacity of 40,000 cubic meters, is scheduled for delivery in November 2026. It will have an overall length of 180 meters, a breadth of 32 meters, and a molded depth of 18.45 meters. The ship will sail under the Japanese flag.
Since 2021, Yara Clean Ammonia and NYK have been collaborating to explore the practical application of an ammonia-fueled ammonia gas carrier. Their efforts have now resulted in the world’s first time-charter contract for such a vessel, which represents the most widely used type for the international transportation of ammonia.
Furthermore, the introduction of this ammonia-fueled medium gas carrier is expected to make a significant contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from maritime transportation.
“Our successful collaboration with NYK enables us not only to comply with future regulations related to CO₂ emissions from sea-going vessels but also helps us to ensure that our customers can receive carbon-intensity compliant clean ammonia throughout our supply chain from well to wake” stated Murali Srinivasan, SVP Commercial in Yara Clean Ammonia.
Additionally, it will play a crucial role in the development of the ammonia supply chain by offering a more environmentally friendly means of transporting ammonia. This is particularly important as global demand for ammonia continues to grow, driven by its increasing use in the power sector, marine fuel applications, and other industries.
Hironobu Watanabe, Managing Executive Officer in NYK, commented: “In November 2023, we released the ‘NYK Group Decarbonization Story’ declaring a target of achieving net-zero GHG emissions by 2050. We have been developing an ammonia-fueled vessel because we believe that using alternative fuels, especially ammonia, is essential to reaching the net-zero goal.”
Watanabe went on to add: “We are delighted to have concluded this time-charter contract with Yara Clean Ammonia, the world’s largest ammonia, which has highly evaluated the AFMGC we develop with our partner companies as a next-generation fueled vessel. We will continue to work with Yara on building an ammonia supply chain from various aspects, not only in the maritime transportation of ammonia.”
