The Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) of Singapore has awarded a grant to Sumitomo Corporation to support research & development efforts aimed at enhancing the safety and efficiency of supplying ammonia as a marine fuel at the Port of Singapore.
The grant came under under the Maritime Innovation and Technology Fund. Sumitomo Corporation also plans to conduct a demonstration of ammonia bunkering in Singapore in 2027. The company will collaborate closely with MPA to establish safety protocols, operational guidelines, and emergency response measures.
Sumitomo is part of a consortium with Keppel and Advario Asia Pacific that is developing a 55–65 MW ammonia power plant, constructing ammonia storage terminal infrastructure, and providing ammonia bunkering supply and services. Within this partnership, Keppel will operate the power plant, Advario will manage the storage terminal, and Sumitomo Corporation will serve as the marine fuel supplier.
“If implemented, this would be among the world’s first direct-ammonia combustion power plants—and Singapore’s first—setting a new benchmark for clean fuel solutions and global decarbonisation,” said Cindy Lim, CEO of Keppel’s Infrastructure Division.
Ammonia is one of the promising alternative marine fuels to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) direct emissions within the shipping industry. This aligns with the International Maritime Organization (IMO)’s strategy to reduce GHG emissions from international shipping by at least 20% by 2030 compared to 2008 levels, and to reach net-zero emissions on a life-cycle basis by 2050.
“Being selected as the choice proponent marks a pivotal milestone for our team,” said Kazuki Yamaguchi, General Manager, Maritime Energy Solution SBU, Sumitomo Corporation. “We have been intensively exploring ammonia bunkering since 2021, laying the groundwork for the solutions we are now advancing in close partnership with Singapore’s regulators…. Achieving true scale and commercialisation, however, is a challenge that no single company can tackle alone – it demands bold collaboration across the entire maritime value chain.”
