Trafigura completes first STS transfer of ammonia

CEUTA, July 1, 2024 – Commodities giant Trafigura has completed its first ship-to-ship (STS) transfer of ammonia, the company said on Monday.

Around 6,000 tonnes of ammonia were supplied from Purus’s Green Power medium gas carrier to Trafigura’s Gas Aegean small gas carrier near the port of Ceuta on the Strait of Gibraltar.

The ammonia was supplied by US player CF Industries from its Donaldsonville, Louisiana, manufacturing complex.

The operation was conducted by STS services player International Fender Providers.

STS transfers are common in the commodities industry, Trafigura said, allowing suppliers to load cargo onto more suitable vessels for delivery to its destination. However, until recently they have not been widely adopted by the ammonia industry.

“Our first safe and efficient ship-to-ship transfer of ammonia supports our growing ammonia trading activity,” Trafigura head of wet freight Andrea Olivi said.

“Importantly, it demonstrates the feasibility of ammonia bunkering in the future as demand grows for the hydrogen-based low carbon fuels that will enable the shipping industry to decarbonise.”

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