The Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection gave their approval to the construction of the planned ammonia bunkering facility at Fjord Base in Florø, Norway.
The planned terminal consists of a floating stationary barge with a capacity of 1,000 cu. m. (650 tons) of ammonia. The permit allows for up to 416 operations annually, many of these expected to be bunkering operations for offshore supply vessels that regularly call at Fjord Base in Florø.
The planned terminal is part of Yara Clean Ammonia and Azane’s efforts to make low-emission ammonia a common fuel for shipping. With ammonia’s potential to fully decarbonize the maritime sector, the companies plan to roll out a network of terminals in Scandinavia.
Demand for the alternative fuel seems to gain momentum in Norway as ENOVA, which manages the Norwegian Climate and Energy fund on behalf of the government, is planning ammonia grant tenders for both ammonia powered ships and ammonia infrastructure in 2024. There are multiple newbuilding projects in the pipeline, and ongoing ammonia-powered Platform Supply Vessels (PSV) tender processes.
Yara Clean Ammonia, Azane and Fjord Base will now commence work with their project partners to obtain a permit with the local municipality before a final investment decision.