Chinese green technology company, Envision Energy, has completed what it describes as the world’s first green marine ammonia bunkering operation at Dalian Port. The green ammonia, produced at Envision’s Chifeng facility, was bunkered into a 5,500 horsepower tugboat by China Shipping & Sinopec Suppliers Co at the COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry terminal.
The fuel was produced at Envision Energy’s green hydrogen and ammonia plant in Chifeng, Inner Mongolia. According to the company, the facility is the largest and most advanced of its kind, operating entirely off-grid through an integrated renewable system comprising wind, solar and energy storage. Artificial intelligence is used to optimise the balance between power generation and fuel production.
The vessel, equipped with an ammonia dual-fuel engine and a dedicated fuel supply system, achieved an ammonia substitution rate of up to 91%. It has been formally classified as an ‘Ammonia Fuel Tug’ by the China Classification Society.
‘The successful bunkering demonstrates how net zero fuels can scale from renewable power generation to hard-to-abate sectors like maritime shipping – a true breakthrough for green ammonia’, said Frank Yu, Senior Vice President at Envision Energy. ‘We are proud that our green ammonia powered the world’s first bunkering of its kind.’
The Chifeng facility has an annual production capacity of 320,000 tonnes of green ammonia, with plans to expand to 1.5 million tonnes by 2028. The site has received ISCC Plus certification and Renewable Ammonia Certification from Bureau Veritas, reportedly making it the first project globally to receive verified certification for the greenhouse gas footprint of green ammonia production.
Envision Energy has also secured a long-term offtake agreement with Marubeni Corporation of Japan. The contract covers supply to the fertiliser, chemical and maritime sectors, and reflects growing international interest in low-carbon ammonia as both a fuel and a hydrogen carrier.
Dalian Port is seeking to position itself as a green marine fuel hub for north-east Asia, with infrastructure under development to support LNG, biofuels, green methanol and green ammonia. The port’s ambitions align with China’s broader decarbonisation strategy, which saw renewable power generation increase by 19% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025. Wind and solar combined accounted for nearly 60 per cent of the country’s renewable output during the period.
