A strategic roadmap aims to establish Australia’s first clean marine fuel bunkering hub.
The new Pilbara Ports strategy could position the Pilbara as a cornerstone of global shipping decarbonisation infrastructure.
The Pilbara Clean Fuel Bunkering Hub report outlines how locally produced low-carbon ammonia could support deep reductions in shipping emissions – potentially slashing annual CO₂ output from Pilbara export vessels by up to 94 per cent, from over 9.9 million tonnes to under 560,000 tonnes.
Core to the strategy is the development of purpose-built bunkering capability at the ports of Dampier and Port Hedland.
These locations are already global-scale export gateways, with 7,700 vessel visits in 2023–24, including 3,865 iron ore carriers on the China trade route. The high shipping volumes, proximity to emerging ammonia production facilities, and short transit times to Asia give the Pilbara a distinct advantage in the shift to low-emission marine fuels.
The infrastructure build-out is being guided by nine interlinked workstreams, covering supply chain integration, regulation, safety, commercial viability, stakeholder engagement, and a planned ship-to-ship ammonia bunkering trial at Port Hedland in 2026.
That trial follows a world-first ammonia transfer executed at anchorage in the Port of Dampier in September 2024, led by Pilbara Ports, the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) and Yara Clean Ammonia.
The transfer involved 2,700 tonnes of ammonia moved between the Green Pioneer and the Navigator Global, under operational parameters simulating future bunkering.
The GCMD’s June 2025 report confirmed the trial’s success in demonstrating safe and practicable transfer methods. It found that ammonia bunkering can be safely executed under defined metocean thresholds, with acceptable vessel motion, fender loads, and emergency response capabilities.
Plume dispersion modelling showed that even in worst-case scenarios, ammonia vapour releases remained within the one-nautical-mile anchorage zone, supporting safe operating envelopes.
The trial used purpose-built fenders, transfer hoses, and emergency release systems, and was supported by real-time vessel motion analysis and a port-specific emergency response plan.
No high-level risks were identified in the HAZID or HAZOP studies, with residual risks addressed through established protocols and enhanced training.
Ammonia was chosen as the fuel of focus due to its established global handling infrastructure, low-carbon potential when produced renewably, and alignment with emerging IMO regulations.
The Pilbara already hosts major ammonia producers and is earmarked for further green ammonia development via the Yuri project.
Pilbara Ports CEO has positioned the roadmap as a key lever in enabling “100 per cent of bulk export vessels departing the Pilbara to be powered by clean fuels”, aligning with both customer expectations and Western Australia’s 2050 net zero goal.
The strategy is underpinned by collaboration across ports, government, and global shipping players, with the Pilbara now poised to become one of the first major bunkering locations globally for clean fuel-powered fleets.
