Fortescue charters 12 ammonia-capable bulkers from CMB.TECH for zero-emissions shipping push

Australian miner Fortescue has signed an agreement with CMB.TECH to charter up to 12 Newcastlemax dry bulk vessels, with as many as three delivered as dual-fuel ammonia carriers entering service by the end of 2026. The 210,000-deadweight-tonne ships will be chartered from Bocimar, CMB.TECH’s dry bulk division, as part of Fortescue’s push to decarbonize its iron ore shipping fleet.

The agreement marks one of the largest commitments yet to ammonia as a marine fuel outside the fertilizer trade itself, adding to a small but growing fleet of ammonia-ready vessels ordered by shipowners anticipating tighter maritime emissions rules. CMB.TECH, the Antwerp-based maritime group listed on the NYSE and Euronext, operates roughly 250 vessels across dry bulk, tankers, container ships and offshore energy, and supplies hydrogen and ammonia fuel to customers from its own production and third-party sources.

Fortescue has previously piloted ammonia-fueled tugboats and has set a target to reach net-zero operational emissions by 2030, a goal that depends heavily on securing low-carbon fuel for its bulk carrier fleet moving iron ore from Western Australia to Asian steelmakers. The chartered vessels add scale to that ambition, though Fortescue has not disclosed the fuel source or carbon intensity target for the ammonia it plans to burn.

Source: CMB.TECH