Japanese trading house Itochu has signed contracts to build a new 5,000-cubic-metre ammonia bunkering vessel, which it describes as the world's first. The contracts were signed through Itochu's Singapore-based subsidiary, Clean Ammonia Bunkering Shipping (CABS).
The vessel will be built by Sasaki Shipbuilding, with Izumi Kogyo contracted to manufacture the ammonia tank plant. CABS has also concluded a loan agreement with Hiroshima Bank to fund the vessel's construction.
The vessel will be registered in Singapore with completion scheduled for September 2027. The project is part of a Singapore-based ammonia fuel supply demonstration project supported by the Japanese Government. Following delivery, the vessel will be used to demonstrate ammonia bunkering in Singapore in discussion with the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore.
Itochu stated the project is an important step in promoting its integrated project for ammonia-fueled ships, with the first step targeting commercialization of ammonia bunkering in Singapore and thereafter expanding to other major maritime traffic areas such as the Strait of Gibraltar and the Suez Canal.