CMB.TECH’s Mineral Europa, a 210,000-deadweight-ton Newcastlemax built at China’s Qingdao Beihai Shipyard, has completed sea trials, the Belgian owner said. Its dual-fuel engine can run on ammonia or conventional marine fuel. After the trials the ship took on 1,000 metric tons of green ammonia in a ship-to-ship bunkering operation at Zhoushan, China, and departed for Australia on its maiden voyage on October 14, under a charter agreement with Australian miner Fortescue.
The ship leads a fleet programme: CMB.TECH plans deliveries of 21 ammonia-powered vessels through 2029, comprising 18 dry bulk carriers, one containership and two chemical tankers, and said on October 9 that most were expected within the following nine months. Chief Executive Alexander Saverys said the Mineral Europa is the first of its kind, with many more to follow. The economics remain the obstacle DNV identifies: ammonia-fuelled newbuilds typically cost 15 to 20 percent more than conventional designs, European green ammonia runs about 2,900 dollars per metric ton of marine-gas-oil-equivalent energy, roughly five times diesel, and ammonia needs nearly three times the fuel volume of diesel for the same energy.