A full-scale ammonia bunkering demonstration at the Port of Rotterdam has shown that ship-to-ship ammonia fuel supply operations can be conducted safely within an active port environment, project partners said this week.
The trial formed part of the EU-funded MAGPIE project and involved a simulated ammonia bunkering operation carried out in Rotterdam in April 2025.
According to the project partners, the exercise demonstrated that ammonia bunkering inside port limits is operationally feasible when supported by appropriate safety procedures, regulatory controls and trained operators.
The findings have now been published in a report prepared by the Denmark-based Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping and project participants.
The report includes operational lessons, safety recommendations and validation of ammonia bunkering frameworks intended to help other ports develop permitting and safety procedures for the fuel.
Project participants said the demonstration also validated the Port of Rotterdam’s ammonia safety framework and the International Association of Ports and Harbours’ Port Readiness Tool.
The shipping industry is increasingly examining ammonia as a potential low-carbon marine fuel, although safety and handling concerns remain a key challenge for wider adoption.
