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Alternative Fuels

Wärtsilä begins ammonia testing to advance future marine fuel capabilities

Ammonia has a number of properties requiring further investigations, but the modularity of modern engines can be adapted with a very limited exchange of components.

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Wartsila ammonia testing

Maritime technology group Wärtsilä on Wednesday (25 March) said it has initiated combustion trials using ammonia. The research is expected to help the company to prepare for the use of ammonia as a fuel that can contribute to reducing both the shipping’s and energy sectors’ greenhouse gas emissions.

As part of the tests, ammonia was injected into a combustion research unit to better understand its properties. Based on initial results, the tests will be continued on both dual-fuel and spark-ignited gas engines. 

These will be followed by field tests in collaboration with ship owners from 2022, and potentially also with energy customers in the future.

“The first tests have yielded promising results and we will continue to optimise combustion parameters,” said Kaj Portin, General Manager, Fuel & Operational Flexibility, Wärtsilä Marine.

“This is an important step in making sure that Wärtsilä can provide the engine and fuel systems that ship owners need, whichever fuel they choose in the future.”

Ammonia is a promising, carbon-free fuel as shipping explores how to fulfil the International Maritime Organization’s vision of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from shipping by at least 50% by 2050, while the energy sector is developing optimal paths for 100% renewable energy systems already today, said Wärtsilä Marine.

Although ammonia is derived mainly from fossil sources today, in the future ammonia’s greenhouse gas footprint can be nearly eliminated if it is produced using electricity from renewable sources, it added.

The tests are just the latest step as Wärtsilä says it aims to develop a complete ammonia fuel solution comprising engines, fuel supply and storage.

The company is working with ship owners, shipbuilders, classification societies and fuel suppliers to learn more about system and safety requirements, as well as fuel composition, emissions and efficiency.

Wärtsilä is also developing ammonia storage and supply systems as part of a project to install ammonia fuel cells on Eidesvik Offshore’s supply vessel Viking Energy by 2023

Over the years, the company said it has gained significant experience with ammonia from designing cargo handling systems for liquid petroleum gas carriers, many of which are used to transport ammonia.

Ammonia has a number of properties that require further investigation, notes Wärtsilä. It ignites and burns poorly compared to other fuels and is toxic and corrosive, making safe handling and storage important. 

It adds that burning ammonia could also lead to higher NOx emissions unless controlled either by aftertreatment or by optimising the combustion process. A regulatory framework and class rules will need to be developed for its use as a marine fuel.

Wärtsilä explains that internal combustion engines can be adapted to burn any fuel. Dual-fuel or spark-ignited engines are already capable of burning liquified natural gas – from fossil, biomass or synthetic sources – while diesel engines can run on liquid biofuels, biodiesel or e-diesel.

The company says it has extensive experience in converting engines to other fuels, including diesel to dual-fuel, as well as engines capable of burning methanol and volatile organic compounds from crude oil cargoes. 

It points out that the modularity of modern engines means that conversions can be made with a very limited exchange of components. Its investment in modular engines and in storage and supply systems will enable shipping’s transition from current fossil fuels to bio- and synthetic fuels.


Photo credit: Wärtsilä
Published: 26 March, 2020

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Bunker Fuel

Singapore: Bunker fuel sales drops by 6.8% on year in May 2026

4.55 million mt of various marine fuel grades were delivered at the world’s largest bunkering port in May, down from 4.88 million mt recorded during the similar month in 2025, according to MPA data.

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Singapore: Bunker fuel sales drops by 6.8% on year in May 2026

Sales of marine fuel at Singapore port dropped by 6.8% on year in May 2026, according to data from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA).

In total, 4.55 million metric tonnes (mt) (exact 4,548,000 mt) of various marine fuel grades were delivered at the world’s largest bunkering port in May, down from 4.88 million mt (4,878,100 mt) recorded during the similar month in 2025.

Deliveries of marine fuel oil, low sulphur fuel oil, ultra low sulphur fuel oil, marine gas oil and marine diesel oil in May (against on year) recorded respectively 1.79 million mt (-5.3% from 1.89 million mt), 2.29 million mt (-6.5% from 2.45 million mt), zero (-100% from 1,200 mt), 600 (35.2% from 1,700 mt) and zero (from zero).

Singapore: Bunker fuel sales drops by 6.8% on year in May 2026

Bio-blended variants of marine fuel oil, low sulphur fuel oil, ultra low sulphur fuel oil, marine gas oil and marine diesel oil in May, (against on year) recorded respectively 11,600 mt (-71.6% from 40,900 mt), 36,400 mt (-62.1% from 96,100 mt), zero (from zero), zero (from zero) and zero (from zero). B100 biofuel bunkers, introduced in February last year, recorded 12,800 mt (+573.7% from 1,900 mt). 

LNG and methanol sales were 70,300 mt (+56.2% from 45,000 mt) and zero (from zero) respectively. There were no recorded sales of ammonia for the month and so far since 2025.

 

Photo credit: Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore
Published: 15 June, 2026

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Alternative Fuels

Hong Kong expands support for alternative bunker fuels with new vessel incentives

Port Dues Incentive Scheme for Green Maritime Fuel-related Vessels and the Green Vessels Registration Incentive Scheme will be launched on 16 June for a period of three years.

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Hong Kong

The Marine Department (MD) on Friday (12 June) announced that the Port Dues Incentive Scheme for Green Maritime Fuel-related Vessels and the Green Vessels Registration Incentive Scheme will be launched on 16 June for a period of three years, with a view to encouraging more vessels to bunker green maritime fuels in Hong Kong and accelerating the green transformation of the Hong Kong fleet.

To leverage the trend of decarbonisation in the international shipping industry, the Government has committed in the Action Plan on Green Maritime Fuel Bunkering promulgated in November 2024 the provision of various financial incentives to help lower the cost of transitioning to green maritime fuels by the maritime industry and expedite the development of Hong Kong as a green port. 

In this year’s Budget, the Government has allocated approximately $34 million to implement relevant initiatives, including providing port dues concessions for vessels powered by green maritime fuels as well as those carrying green maritime fuels, and offering incentives for green fuel-powered vessels registered in Hong Kong.

The Port Dues Incentive Scheme for Green Maritime Fuel-related Vessels provides concessions for green maritime fuel-related vessels, including ocean-going vessels (OGVs) powered by or bunkering specified green maritime fuels in Hong Kong, and OGVs carrying green maritime fuels for supply in Hong Kong. 

Specified green maritime fuels covered under the Scheme refer to liquefied natural gas (LNG), methanol, ammonia, hydrogen, and bio-diesel (blended with at least 20% bio-fuel). Eligible OGVs conducting specified operation(s) throughout their stay in Hong Kong may apply for a reimbursement of their port dues (including port facilities and light dues, anchorage dues, buoy dues and fees for port clearance permits) paid in accordance with the Shipping and Port Control Regulations (Cap. 313A). The amount of the incentive is equivalent to 25% or 50% of the port dues paid.

Eligible shipowners or their agents must submit the application form together with the required supporting documents to the MD within three months of their vessels’ completion of the above operation(s) in and departure from Hong Kong. The approved incentive amount will generally be disbursed within 30 working days. The amounts of incentives applicable to different types of OGVs are set out in the Annex.

A spokesman for the MD, said: “Following the launch of the Green Maritime Fuel Bunkering Incentive Scheme last year, the new initiative further provides incentives to encourage the industry to adopt green maritime fuels, which are often more expensive than traditional fuels, and to build up demand for green maritime fuel bunkering services in Hong Kong early. 

“This will in turn attract other players in the green maritime fuel bunkering supply chain, such as bunker suppliers, bunker operators and traders, to establish and expand their operations in Hong Kong. We expect this scheme to attract more than 1,000 visits to Hong Kong by green maritime fuel-related vessels.”

Meanwhile, the Green Vessels Registration Incentive Scheme provides incentives to green fuel-powered vessels currently or newly registered in the Hong Kong Shipping Registry (HKSR), thereby attracting and retaining the registration of green vessels in Hong Kong.

Under the scheme, all Hong Kong-registered ships that use green maritime fuels as their primary propulsion fuel, which include LNG, methanol, ammonia and hydrogen but exclude conventional fuels and biofuels, will be eligible to apply. 

During the three-year period of the scheme, each eligible vessel will be provided with a subsidy of HKD 60,000 once every year, and may enjoy one or at most three years’ incentives depending on the timing and duration that the vessel is registered with the HKSR. 

Each vessel is eligible to receive a maximum subsidy of HKD 180,000. Approval and disbursement of the incentives will take approximately three months from the receipt of an application with all required supporting documents. The vessel’s Hong Kong registration status must be maintained on the date the incentive is disbursed. 

The spokesman, said: “This scheme will encourage vessels using green maritime fuels to register in Hong Kong and promote the green transformation of the Hong Kong fleet, which will further enhance the overall competitiveness of the HKSR. We estimate that this scheme will attract approximately 100 vessels powered by green maritime fuels to register with the HKSR. Alongside the vessels powered by green maritime fuels currently registered in Hong Kong, we expect that around 170 such vessels registered in Hong Kong will benefit from the scheme within three years of implementation.”

Note: For details of the Port Dues Incentive Scheme for Green Maritime Fuel-related Vessels and the Green Vessels Registration Incentive Scheme, visit the MD’s webpages (www.mardep.gov.hk/filemanager/en/share/forms/pdf/md558.pdf ; www.mardep.gov.hk/filemanager/en/share/forms/pdf/md743.pdf).

 

Photo credit: M on Unsplash
Published: 15 June, 2026

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Biofuel

Bunker brokerage Norwegian Energy Trading renews ISCC certification for biofuel trading

‘Our biofuel volumes have been growing steadily, and we’re committed to keeping pace with where the market is genuinely heading — not where it’s announced to be heading,’ says firm.

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Bunker brokerage Norwegian Energy Trading renews ISCC certification for biofuel trading

Bunker brokerage Norwegian Energy Trading (NET) recently announced that its International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) certification for biofuel trading has been renewed for another year.

NET said certified mass balance, full chain of custody, and verifiable GHG savings are the foundation of any credible bio offering.

The company added that the renewal comes at the right time.

“Our biofuel volumes have been growing steadily, and we’re committed to keeping pace with where the market is genuinely heading — not where it’s announced to be heading,” it added.

 

Photo credit: Norwegian Energy Trading
Published: 15 June, 2026

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