NYK Line has signed a time charter contract with Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (MOL) for the transport of ammonia.
The vessel Berlian Ekuator, owned and operated by NYK, will be used for the shipments.
The vessel will transport fuel ammonia to be used by JERA Co., Inc. (JERA) in the world’s first large-scale fuel-conversion demonstration test, which will be conducted at unit 4 of JERA’s Hekinan Thermal Power Station.
The announcement comes two months after NYK Line commenced conversion of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuelled tugboat Sakigake to an ammonia-fuelled tugboat (A-tug).
Through this arrangement, NYK intends to contribute to the global energy transition by gaining practical expertise of ammonia handling and building a marine transportation infrastructure for the future development of the fuel ammonia market.
In June, MOL and JERA signed an ammonia sales and purchase agreement to be used in the demonstration test.
Four months later, MOL announced the signing of a long-term charter contract with a vessel operation management firm funded by JERA for a newbuilding liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier.
