Itochu, a Japanese trading company, Ube Industries, a chemical company, and Uyeno Transtech, a shipping company, have agreed to form a joint venture to supply ammonia as a marine fuel and establish a domestic supply chain.

Itochu will be in charge of the project's production and construction of domestic ammonia supply bases as well as ammonia bunkering vessels. For the joint project, Ube Industries will conduct a study on the supply of ammonia as a marine fuel and the development of an onshore supply plant.

Uyeno Transtech intends to research the construction of an ammonia bunkering vessel as well as safety standards for the hazardous material's refueling.

In February, the Japanese government outlined plans to build major ammonia fueling plans for the country's utility and shipping sectors, with the aim of using 30 million tons of ammonia by 2050, in line with Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's 2050 carbon neutral ambitions.

Maritime Business World