Maersk Tankers Secures EU Funding for Ammonia Retrofit of VLACs
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Maersk Tankers has had its ammonia retrofit project, named RIPPLE, selected to receive funding from the European Union's Innovation Fund. The initiative aims to equip four Very Large Ammonia Carriers (VLACs) with dual-fuel two-stroke engines capable of running on ammonia, according to the project description published by the European Commission on Monday.
The Danish shipping company confirmed the development in a statement noting that this selection represents an important step in its ambition to power its new VLAC fleet with ammonia. The company highlighted that the project has been selected for EU Innovation Fund funding, pending finalization of the corresponding grant agreement.
Background on the call for proposals
RIPPLE's selection came as part of a round in which the European Commission chose 77 projects to share €3.4 billion ($3.8 billion) in funding. The selected projects were invited to begin preparing grant agreements with the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA), a stage at which final amounts, budgets, timelines, and technical and legal responsibilities will be defined. The Commission expects to announce the results of that process in the first quarter of 2027.
According to the estimates released, the project is expected to avoid the emission of more than 1.2 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent over ten years. Maersk Tankers stated that moving forward with the retrofits will depend on securing commercial commitments from its customers, a point the company emphasized both in a LinkedIn post and in its own statement.
Fleet and gas carrier expansion
The shipping company noted that it will add ten VLACs to its fleet and sees significant potential to support the adoption of ammonia as a marine fuel. Separately, the company held the naming ceremony in Mokpo, South Korea, for the Jessie Mærsk, the second vessel in a new series of ten VLAC/VLGC vessels built by HD Hyundai Samho, designed to carry both LPG and ammonia and with the option for a dual-fuel engine retrofit.
Trade News also reported on the development, noting that the Danish shipping company Maersk Tankers has taken a further step toward using ammonia as fuel for its new fleet of large ammonia carriers, in a report that included statements from the company's CEO, Tina Revsbech.
