Trafigura Orders 4 Dual-Fuel Ammonia Medium Gas Carriers

To support its goal to reduce its shipping fleet’s carbon intensity by 25% by 2030, Trafigura signed a contract to receive four ammonia-capable medium gas carriers (MGCs) from the HD Hyundai Mipo Dockyard in Ulsan, South Korea, each outfitted a dual-fuel low-carbon ammonia engine. The first MGC will be delivered to Trafigura in 2027 and carry LPG or ammonia.

“We are excited to embark together with HD Hyundai Mipo on this ambitious project which supports our commitments to decarbonizing shipping and will help us to develop the global low-carbon ammonia bunkering infrastructure needed for zero-carbon shipping to become a reality,” said Andrea Olivi, Head of Wet Freight for Trafigura.

The company has tested a wide range of alternative shipping fuels such as LNG, methanol, LPG, and biofuels on owned and chartered vessels. Trafigura co-sponsored MAN Energy Solutions’ development of a green ammonia two-stroke engine and is also investing in on-board carbon emissions capture technology. In addition to these investments, the company is also funding efficiency measures including silicone hull coatings, wake equalizing ducts, ultrasonic propeller antifouling technology, continuous underwater hull cleaning, and propeller polishing.

A partner of Trafigura in the ammonia propulsion market, MAN Energy developed a two-stroke ammonia solution for marine vessels—the B&W 7S60ME-ammonia engine. A joint venture comprised of K Line, NS United, and the Itochu Corp. will explore the use of MAN Energy’s 60-bore ammonia engine in a bulk carrier new build. Imabari Shipbuilding will install an SCR-connected 7S60ME-ammonia engine for the joint venture’s 200,000 dwt-class bulk carrier.

“MAN Energy Solutions has developed this engine since 2019 with over 100,000 man-hours recorded in that time. This first MAN B&W ammonia engine is a 60-bore type, which is applicable to a broad range of vessel segments,” said Thomas S. Hansen, Head of Sales and Promotion, MAN Energy Solutions. “We believe that the success of ammonia as a marine fuel strongly relies on a safe introduction to the market. We will therefore monitor several engines entering operation at sea to ensure that the engine design and functionality of the auxiliary systems meet our expectations before the engine is formally introduced to our marine-engine program as part of a full sales release.”

The ammonia-powered engine is currently under development in Denmark, and this deal represents one of the first projects for the product. MITSUI E&S will assemble the ammonia engine in Japan.

In March 2024, MAN Energy produced the Cluster 5 Double Layer SCR catalytic converter for customer and licensee, MITSUI E&S. It is ammonia-ready, and the company’s largest SCR unit built to date. With a diameter of 3,900 mm and a total weight of 28 metric tons, the Cluster 5 Double Layer will be ready for series production soon. A final inspection from MAN Energy and MITSUI confirmed the quality of the product prior to its initial delivery and, after a successful water-pressure test, the SCR was shipped from Dalian, China to Tamano, Japan.