An ammonia bunkering demonstration using the vessel is planned for October 2027 in Singapore. Image Credit: Itochu

Japan‘s Itochu Corporation has ordered a 5,000 m3 ammonia bunkering vessel from Sasaki Shipbuilding, with plans to deploy it in Singapore by 2027.

The order was placed through Itochu’s subsidiary, Clean Ammonia Bunkering Shipping (CABS), it said in a statement on its website on Monday.

The Singapore-flagged vessel is slated for delivery by September 2027, with a demonstration scheduled the following month.

To support the construction, CABS has secured partial financing from the Hiroshima Bank.

Itochu views ammonia as a key component in the maritime sector’s decarbonisation efforts and sees dedicated bunkering vessels as critical to building out the necessary supply infrastructure.

Following the demonstration in Singapore, the company plans to expand its ammonia bunkering operations to other key maritime hubs, including the Strait of Gibraltar, Egypt and Japan.

The onboard ammonia tanks will be supplied by Izumi Steel Works.