Enaex S.A., a Chilean ammonium nitrate producer, and NYK Bulk & Projects Carriers Ltd. (NBP), a member of the NYK Group, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in January to jointly research the feasibility of supplying low-carbon ammonia to ammonia-fueled ships.
From fourth left, Masashi Suda, President of NBP; Juan Andrés Errázuriz Domínguez, CEO of Enaex; Hitoshi Nagasawa, Chairman of NYK; and Felipe González, senior vice president of Logistics & Distribution at CODELCO
NBP will build 10 to 15 ammonia-fueled Handymax* bulkers in the late 2020s and beyond to transport copper products from Chile to the Far East for Corporación Nacional del Cobre de Chile (CODELCO), a world-leading copper producer. In the future, Enaex and NBP will work out the details to supply low-carbon ammonia to the vessels at their Mejillones ammonia terminal in the Antofagasta region of northern Chile.
The MoU was signed at Enaex's headquarters in Santiago, Chile, in the presence of Juan Andrés Errázuriz Domínguez, CEO of Enaex, Hitoshi Nagasawa, chairman of NYK, and Masashi Suda, president of NBP.
* Bulkers (bulk carriers) transport large quantities of resources such as iron ore, coal, grain, cement, salt, and copper concentrates without packing. They are classified into four major categories in order of size: Capesize, Panamax, Handymax, and Handysize.