© Port of Rotterdam Authority
The Port of Rotterdam has successfully completed its first ship-to-ship ammonia bunkering pilot, a major step in preparing one of the world’s busiest fuel hubs for clean, hydrogen-based marine fuels. Conducted on April 12, 2025, the operation involved transferring 800 cubic meters — approximately 546 tonnes — of cold liquid ammonia between two LPG tankers, the Oceanic Moon and Gas Utopia, at the APM terminal on the port’s Maasvlakte 2 extension.
The bunkering process lasted 2.5 hours, achieving a transfer rate of about 218 tonnes per hour. While slower than LNG transfers seen elsewhere — such as the Port of Hong Kong’s 314 tonnes per hour during its first LNG ship-to-ship operation — this pilot marks a key milestone for ammonia as an emerging marine fuel.
“This marks an important step in preparing the port for vessels bunkering clean ammonia,” the Port of Rotterdam stated. The trial pushed the port’s ammonia readiness to Level 7 under the international Port Readiness Level framework, meaning safety procedures are now fully established for ammonia bunkering on a project basis.
Industry-Backed Pilot with EU Support
The trial was led by OCI, which owns and operates the port’s ammonia terminal, and Trammo, which supplied both tankers. James Fisher Fendercare handled the bunkering equipment and logistics, while Victrol contributed operational expertise. Oversight was provided by the DCMR Environmental Protection Agency and Rijnmond Safety Region, with fire safety managed by the Joint Fire Service.
This pilot is part of the EU-funded MAGPIE program, a €25 million initiative under Horizon 2020 that supports innovation in sustainable port logistics. The ammonia transfer trial is one of 12 pilots under MAGPIE, and findings will be shared with ports and regulators across Europe.
The ammonia used in the test was grey — derived from natural gas — but future bunkering will prioritize clean ammonia produced from renewable hydrogen. This aligns with the EU’s FuelEU Maritime regulation, which incentivizes the use of “renewable fuels of non-biological origin” (RFNBOs) through double carbon accounting until 2033. A voluntary 1% RFNBO usage target for 2031 is expected to become a binding 2% requirement by 2034 if not met.
Preparing for Ammonia-Fueled Shipping by 2026
Rotterdam, the world’s second-largest marine fuel hub with around 10 million tonnes bunkered annually, is positioning itself to support a multi-fuel future. The first ammonia-powered ships are expected to enter service in 2026 or 2027. With established global infrastructure for ammonia production, storage, and transport, the shift to ammonia as a marine fuel is technically feasible and increasingly supported by regulation.
The Rotterdam pilot follows other key ammonia transfer milestones globally. In September 2024, Australia’s Port of Dampier oversaw a 2,715-tonne ship-to-ship ammonia transfer, while in March 2024, Fortescue’s Green Pioneer became the first oceangoing vessel to complete ammonia loading in Singapore.
