Fortescue to have green vessel at sea in 2022

Written by Nick Blenkey
Fortescue’s green ammonia pilot vessel will be an MMA Offshore platform supply vessel

Fortescue’s green ammonia pilot vessel will be an MMA Offshore platform supply vessel

Australia’s Fortescue Metals Group plans to have a vessel operating on green ammonia at sea by next year. The news was announced yesterday in an address at the COP26 Transport Day by Dr. Andrew Forrest, chairman of Fortescue Future Industries. In it, he called for a net zero 2040 target to be embraced by the entire shipping industry.

To demonstrate that the 2040 target can be met, FFI’s Green Fleet Team is working with Australian offshore support vessel operator MMA Offshore to convert its 75-meter PSV, the MMA Leveque, over the next 12 months so that it can run almost totally on green ammonia.

Fortescue says this “brings the shipping industry much closer to becoming carbon neutral well before 2040 with only entrenched industry practices slowing global progress of carbon neutral shipping.”

“This vessel will show the shipping industry the power of a vessel fueled by green ammonia in real world conditions.” said Dr. Forrest. “We are investing heavily in research and development to transform our trains, trucks and ships on the road, rail and sea with zero pollution fuels as soon as possible. It is world leading technology and will assist in providing the shipping industry with the practical know-how to decarbonize completely.”

Future Fleet

Earlier this year, FFI’s Green Fleet Team achieved the successful combustion of blended ammonia fuel in a locomotive. This paved the way to achieve a renewable locomotive operation using one hundred per cent green ammonia.

Fortescue Future Industries describes itself “as a global green energy and product company committed to producing zero-emission green hydrogen from 100% renewable sources.” It is involved in multiple green ammonia and green hydrogen projects around the world.

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