NYK executes STS ammonia transfer off coast of Spain

Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK) has completed its first ship-to-ship (STS)

transfer of liquefied ammonia, successfully moving 23,000 metric tonnes from the

Berlian Ekuator to the Eco Enchanted off the coast of Ceuta, Spain.

On 2 September, NYK carried out its first STS transfer of liquefied

ammonia, marking a milestone in its handling of next-generation fuels.

The operation involved the transfer of approximately 23,000 metric tonnes

of ammonia from the Berlian Ekuator—owned by NYK and time-chartered by Mitsui

& Co., Ltd.—to the Eco Enchanted, operated by ammonia trader Trammo,

Inc.

The STS transfer took place offshore near Ceuta, Spain, under strict safety

protocols.

While NYK has previous STS experience with crude oil, LNG, and LPG, this

was its first involving ammonia.

The operation was supported by Trammo and its specialist provider

International Fender Providers Ltd., and was executed using NYK’s internal

safety management system and STS expertise.

“We successfully leveraged our advanced safety management system and

refined STS operational know-how to safely transfer the entire cargo of

liquefied ammonia,” NYK stated.

Ammonia, traditionally used in fertilisers and industrial chemicals, is

gaining attention as a zero-carbon fuel due to its ability to combust without

producing CO2.

With projected growth in demand, particularly in marine fuel applications,

the STS method is being explored as a flexible alternative to conventional

land-based handling, offering fewer constraints related to port size or onshore

infrastructure.

NYK plans to apply insights from this operation to future ammonia handling

and to support the development of safe, scalable supply chains for

next-generation fuels.

The company views this initiative as part of its broader contribution

toward a decarbonised maritime sector.

Recently, NYK jointly conducted a demonstration project, Project LOTUS,

with the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD).