Fortescue’s green ship goal sails by

Fortescue Energy’s ambition to have the world’s first green ammonia-powered ship at sea by 2022 has seemingly veered off course, but the group has affirmed plans to trial the ‘Green Pioneer’ later this year.

Perth-based marine business MMA Offshore told the ASX in March last year that it had sold one of its vessels, MMA Leveque, to a subsidiary of Andrew Forrest’s energy division, then known as Fortescue Future Industries, for $US7.75 million.

The deal came about four months after chairman and founder Andrew Forrest called for a net-zero 2040 target to be embraced by the shipping industry during an address at the Glasgow COP26 conference, held in November 2021.

The declaration was accompanied by a statement on Fortescue’s website announcing a ‘green ship at sea in 2022’ and that FFI was ‘moving quickly’ to convert the 75 metre vessel to run on green ammonia over the next 12 months.

More than 18 months later and the ship, while progressing, is still in the trial phase.

Fortescue’s 2023 annual report, released in August, said the 75-metre long and newly-christened Green Pioneer was set to complete final tests in the coming months.

The group spruiked that the four stroke diesel engine had been modified to run on green ammonia and had taken the team ‘just one year to develop’ -  short of the 2022 target previously mooted.

When approached by Business News for comment regarding the progress and timing of the collaboration, a Fortescue spokesperson said decarbonising the world’s shipping industry was a ‘significant task’.

"Fortescue continues to maintain a close relationship with MMA Offshore who are our contracted ship manager for the Platform Supply Vessel, FFI Green Pioneer (previously MMA Leveque)," the spokesperson said. 

“Having successfully converted a four-stroke engine to run on various proportions of ammonia at our testing facility in Perth, Australia, earlier this year, we are now focusing on converting the Green Pioneer to operate under ammonia and other sustainable fuels.

“The vessel is expected to undergo sea trials later this year.”

There was little acknowledgement regarding the previous timing of the project.

“Decarbonising the world’s shipping industry is a significant task, however, we believe a carbon-free ammonia alternative to diesel could be a gamechanger for the world’s shipping industry.”

MMA Offshore redirected questions regarding the project to Fortescue.

Mr Forrest has been leading an ambitious charge to achieve carbon neutrality across its expansive iron ore operations in the Pilbara without the use of carbon offsets by 2030.

The iron ore magnate has been especially vocal in his concerns regarding the use of fossil fuels and its contribution to global warming, as his company busily spends billions seeking to develop renewable energy sources, including hydrogen. 

Fortescue Energy revealed in its most recent annual report that it would spend $US400 million next year ahead of making final investments decisions on five green energy projects before the end of the year. 

The $US400 million does not include the costs of the yet-to-be announced projects. 

Fortescue acquired UK-based engineering firm Williams Advanced Engineering for $310 million in January 2022 in a bid to develop and integrate race-bred battery technology into its operations.

Two months later, Fortescue announced it had set to work on developing a regenerating battery electric iron ore train as one of the first projects under their new partnership.