China Completes World’s First Green Ammonia Bunkering Operation at Dalian Port

In a historic move toward zero-emission shipping, China has successfully completed the world’s first green ammonia bunkering operation—marking a turning point in maritime decarbonization and clean fuel innovation.

The operation took place at COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry’s terminal in Dalian Port, where a tugboat became the first vessel to be refueled with green ammonia derived entirely from renewable energy.

From Inner Mongolia to the Sea

This pioneering bunkering event was made possible through Envision Energy’s 500 MW green hydrogen and ammonia project in Chifeng, Inner Mongolia. The fuel was transported from the plant to the coast, where the tugboat—equipped with an ammonia dual-fuel engine and a specialized supply system—replaced 91% of its fossil fuel consumption with ammonia.

The tugboat has now earned the title of “Ammonia Fuel Tug” from the China Classification Society, further validating its readiness for commercial operations.

A Fully Integrated Green Fuel Value Chain

Unlike earlier pilot projects that focused on fuel production alone, this operation completed every stage of the ammonia fuel lifecycle:

• Production via solar, wind, and energy storage
• Transport and handling logistics
• On-site bunkering at a major port
• Operational deployment aboard a vessel

This event not only demonstrated technical feasibility but also showcased the emergence of a fully certified, end-to-end green ammonia value chain.

Chifeng Project: A Global First

The Chifeng facility isn’t just another renewable plant—it’s the world’s largest independent integrated renewable energy system dedicated to green hydrogen and ammonia production.

Key achievements include:

• ISCC Plus certification
• Renewable Ammonia certification from Bureau Veritas
• Verified greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint

These milestones make it the first project in the world to be certified for producing green ammonia at such scale and integrity.

Dalian Port’s Big Green Bet

This landmark bunkering event also strengthens Dalian Port’s ambitions to become a major green energy hub in Asia. The port is positioning itself to handle:

• Green ammonia
• Green methanol
• Biofuels
• LNG

By pioneering alternative fuel infrastructure, Dalian is gearing up to serve the next generation of low- and zero-emission vessels.