Singapore has shortlisted six firms to develop a low- or zero-carbon ammonia solution for power generation and bunkering on Jurong island, as part of the city-state's decarbonisation efforts.
The companies were shortlisted following an expression of interest (EOI) that was launched in December 2022 and closed at the end of April this year. The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and Singapore's Energy Market Authority (EMA) received 26 proposals during the EOI process, the MPA and EMA said on 23 October.
The project is part of the island nation's national hydrogen strategy announced in October 2022. It will entail facilitating ammonia bunkering of at least 100,000 t/yr, starting with shore-to-ship bunkering and followed by ship-to-ship bunkering. The developer selected for the project would also need to look at generating 55-66MW of electricity from imported low- or zero-carbon ammonia via direct combustion in gas turbine or combined-cycle gas turbine.
The project aims to develop the technological readiness and ammonia's position as a bunkering fuel. "Ammonia is currently one of the most technologically ready hydrogen carriers with an established international supply chain for industrial use," the MPA and EMA said. "If proven viable, the project will contribute significantly to unlocking the potential of low-carbon ammonia as a low-carbon fuel."
Singapore is world's largest bunkering hub and is targeting net zero emissions from shipping by 2050.
MPA and EMA now propose to move the shortlisted firms to the next stage of a closed request for proposal (RFP). Results of the RFP process will be announced by the end of this year.
The completion of this project will make it one of the first efforts to test and deploy a direct ammonia combustion power plant and support a holistic assessment of ammonia bunkering for international shipping and domestic harbour craft.
Singapore is also pushing ahead with deploying electric harbour craft. The MPA launched an EOI on 19 October inviting financial institutions and intermediaries, as well as marine insurance providers and brokers, to submit proposals to accelerate the adoption of electric harbour craft in the city-state. EOI participants are to assess and propose "demand planning parameters" at the port of Singapore, "which would provide sufficient scale to make financing viable and attractive for the adoption of these craft", the MPA said.
Singapore has stated that all new domestic harbour craft must be fully electric, capable of using B100 biofuels or be able to use net-zero fuels such as hydrogen by 2030.
