Trafigura throws weight behind tripartite collaboration to commercialise low-carbon ammonia

A new tripartite collaboration led by Trafigura will tackle the global supply and availability of low-carbon fuels – one of the biggest hurdles to reducing CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping.

One of the world’s largest commodity traders, Trafigura, has inked an agreement with US-based ammonia producer CF Holdings and bunker service provider TFG Marine to commercialise low-carbon ammonia as a marine fuel, facilitating global market supply, development and bunkering planning. Initial efforts will focus on the US Gulf and northwest Europe, according to the memorandum of understanding between the parties.

Big Board-listed CF Industries, one of the world’s largest producers of ammonia, will use its low-carbon ammonia production and export capabilities at its Donaldsonville, Louisiana, complex. CF Industries began operating a carbon capture and storage (CCS) facility at the Donaldson complex in July 2025. The CCS facility has the capacity to sequester up to 2M tonnes of CO2 annually generated by the ammonia manufacturing process.

In September 2025, Trafigura loaded 23,500 tonnes of certified low-carbon ammonia for shipment to Antwerp, Belgium, for Envalior to produce low-carbon caprolactam, an organic compound used to make nylon fibres and plastics.

One of the world’s largest charterers, averaging some 400 vessels on time charter carrying everything from oil and gas to minerals and metals, Trafigura will bring its expertise in commodity logistics and market development to the partnership.

Trafigura plans to have six ammonia-fuelled vessels in its fleet by 2030.

TFG Marine, a joint venture between Trafigura, Frontline and Golden Ocean Group, which the Saverys family’s CMB.Tech purchased and merged into its operations in mid-2025, will use its global marine fuel supply network and bunkering expertise to support ‘last-mile’ delivery solutions, co-ordinate ammonia bunkering demand, and transport the fuel to bunkering hubs globally.

CF Industries executive vice president and chief commercial officer, Bert Frost, said the collaboration would “establish the supply chain necessary to meet the expected transition of the marine shipping industry to low-carbon ammonia as a fuel.”