Yara in three-year charter of MOL ammonia carrier

Green Pioneer [Photo: MOL]

Yara International subsidiary Yara Clean Ammonia has signed a three-year time charter contract with Tokyo-headquartered Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) for the 2010-built, 34,500 cubic meter ammonia carrier Green Pioneer. The vessel is expected to mainly operate in the Pacific region.

Yara is the world’s largest nitrogen fertilizer manufacturer and, while ammonia is currently mostly used as a raw material for fertilizers, it is expected to see a significant increase in demand in the future as a next-generation fuel that does not emit carbon dioxide when burned, not only as a marine fuel, but also in applications such as mixed burning in coal-fired power plants, something that’s getting a lot of attention in Japan. It is also, of course, an ideal carrier for hydrogen.

MOL and the Yara Group have been working together since the signing of a 2022 memorandum of understanding on decarbonization projects, including in the ammonia area, and the conclusion of this regular ammonia carrier charter contract is one of the outcomes from that agreement.

Both companies aim to build a long-term partnership in the clean ammonia field and to actively expand their business to build an ammonia supply chain. MOL has positioned environmental strategy as one of its main strategies in its management plan “Blue Action 2035” and set a goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050 in its “MOL Group Environmental Vision 2.2.” The

Green Pioneer specifications

• LOA 173.70 meters
• Breadth 28.00 meters
• Draft 10.419 meters
• Cargo tank capacity 34,500 cubic meters
• Delivered August 2010
• Shipyard Hyundai Mipo Dockyard
• Ship management company MOL Tankship Management Pte. Ltd.