The Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection gave their approval to the construction of the planned ammonia bunkering facility at Fjord Base in Florø, Norway. The permit marks a significant milestone for enabling ammonia as a safe and low emission alternative to traditional shipping fuels.

Ammonia is widely recognized as a low-emissions shipping fuel. Even though interest in ammonia as a decarbonized shipping fuel is high, the final leg of the journey, from the production plant to the vessel, has been missing. Now Yara Clean Ammonia, Azane and Fjord Base have demonstrated how the planned ammonia bunkering terminal can meet the strict safety requirement of the Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection (DSB).

The planned terminal is part of Yara Clean Ammonia and Azane’s efforts to make low-emission ammonia a common fuel for shipping. With ammonia’s potential to fully decarbonize the maritime sector, the companies plan to roll out a network of terminals in Scandinavia. This milestone is important to meet the growing demand for ammonia as shipping fuel, as well as incentives needed to enable ship operators and owners to switch from high-emitting, but cheaper fuels, to the low-emission alternative of ammonia. Demand seems to gain momentum in Norway as ENOVA, which manages the Norwegian Climate and Energy fund on behalf of the government, is planning ammonia grant tenders for both ammonia powered ships and ammonia infrastructure in 2024.