The fuel of the future – today's investment focus
Ammonia is advancing as a preferred zero-carbon fuel, with two significant developments this week highlighting the growing confidence in this sector.
Initially, six major Japanese companies, including the shipping giant MOL, have entered into an agreement with the Indian group ACME to explore investing in a large-scale green ammonia plant in India. If this project comes to fruition, the facility could produce 400,000 tons of renewable ammonia annually by 2030. This product is expected to be used for energy production, fertilizer manufacturing, and increasingly in the maritime sector.
At the same time, MOL is partnering with Belgium's CMB.Tech to jointly own and operate nine ships capable of running on ammonia – the first of their kind in the Capesize bulk carrier and chemical tanker markets. Deliveries are scheduled between 2026 and 2029, with long-term charter contracts already secured.
Momentum is building around ammonia in the maritime transition
These two developments send a strong signal that leading industrial and maritime players are actively preparing for a future powered by ammonia. This further strengthens the ammonia value chain and confirms the relevance of initial investments in this area.
European Maritime Finance is already engaged in this trend with its portfolio of three very large ammonia carriers, and we are witnessing increasing momentum in infrastructure and tonnage as the energy transition advances.
Source: Tradewinds