CF Industries, Trafigura and TFG Marine have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to coordinate production, logistics and bunkering infrastructure, aiming to build a viable supply chain for low-carbon ammonia as a marine fuel.
The partnership brings together complementary roles across the fuel value chain. CF Industries will provide low-carbon ammonia from its Donaldsonville complex in Louisiana, which incorporates carbon capture technology.
Trafigura will contribute its expertise in commodity trading, logistics and market development. TFG Marine will apply its global marine fuel supply network to support last-mile delivery, coordinate bunkering demand and develop practical ammonia bunkering solutions. Initial efforts will focus on the US Gulf Coast and north-west Europe.
Low-carbon ammonia has long been viewed as a scalable, zero-carbon-at-point-of-use option for deep-sea shipping, yet progress has been constrained by the lack of reliable production, transport and bunkering frameworks.
Patricio Norris, Trafigura’s global head of ammonia and LPG, said: ‘This agreement brings together the critical components needed to advance low-carbon ammonia as a viable marine fuel.’ He added: ‘Through this collaboration with CF Industries and TFG Marine, we are combining world-class production capabilities with our global logistics and bunkering network to support the maritime industry’s transition to cleaner fuels.’
TFG Marine, a joint venture between Trafigura, Frontline and Golden Ocean Group, is expected to play a central role in developing safe and repeatable bunkering practices. Kenneth Dam, its executive director, said: ‘Our global bunkering infrastructure and operational expertise position us to play a key role in delivering low-carbon ammonia fuel solutions to the shipping industry.’ He added that the partnership would help ‘make low-carbon ammonia bunkering a commercial reality for vessel operators worldwide’.
The agreement builds on earlier cooperation between CF Industries and Trafigura, including the shipment of low-carbon ammonia from Donaldsonville to Belgium. That cargo demonstrated the physical movement of low-carbon ammonia across the Atlantic. The new MOU seeks to move beyond isolated shipments and towards the creation of a commercial market.
Ammonia has already shown technical viability through pilot projects and early bunkering trials, but the more difficult challenge lies in economics and confidence. Shipowners remain hesitant to invest in ammonia-fuelled vessels without certainty over fuel availability and pricing. Fuel suppliers, meanwhile, need visible demand before committing capital to storage facilities, handling systems and crew training.
The focus on the US Gulf Coast and north-west Europe is commercially logical as both regions combine established ammonia production, evolving carbon policy frameworks and proximity to major shipping routes. They also offer potential integration with carbon capture and storage networks, strengthening the environmental case for low-carbon ammonia.
