The 75-metre demonstrator vessel, The Green Pioneer arrived in the Port of Belém, ahead of COP30, as a floating embodiment of how collaboration between regulators and industry can inspire practical action to speed up the climate transition.
When the International Maritime Organisation recently proposed guidelines for the use of ammonia as a marine fuel, it was building on lessons learned from trials undertaken in Singapore in advance of a four-continent tour by the world’s first ocean-going dual-fuel ammonia vessel.
It was in Singapore where The Green Pioneer – developed by global green technology, energy and metals company Fortescue – was converted to use ammonia, alongside diesel. Since setting off just over 18 months ago, it has visited London, Antwerp, Rotterdam, Monaco, Nice, Boston and New York – demonstrating how ammonia can be safely handled in some of the world’s busiest ports, not as a future ambition but as a current reality.
Green Ammonia is a zero-emission fuel that can potentially play a major role in eliminating the use of fossil fuels in the marine sector – but only if concerns about its safety, performance and practicability can be overcome.
Hoare, who has been with The Green Pioneer at every stage of its journey, adds: “The vessel turned ambition into something you can touch, see and believe in.”
The Green Pioneer’s live trial served as a focal point for collaboration among industry bodies, technology institutes, the classification company DNV, and maritime authorities (MPA in Singapore, AMSA in Australia, USCG in the United States, and MCA in the UK). Partners contributed expertise in technology, regulation, safety, fuel, infrastructure, and operations.
Leadership, as well as partnership, proved vital in mobilising capital, skills, and political engagement. Fortescue’s Executive Chairman, Dr Andrew Forrest, is an outspoken advocate of climate action and visited each stop on The Green Pioneer’s route to play a personal role in building a diverse coalition of actors. The visits were also a point of pride for the project team and vessel crews, as they reinforced how meaningful this project is.
Every port presented a new opportunity to learn lessons, not only about improving procedures but also securing buy-in. The Green Pioneer has been shifting mindsets by showing that ammonia, traditionally viewed as hazardous, can be managed with appropriate protocols.
The project has enabled the development of a “green corridor”, aligning bunkering, regulation, and certifications for ammonia around the world. Other ports and regulators can now use the model – from technical standards and policies to training – as a blueprint to scale up quickly and with confidence.
Hoare draws five lessons from the success of The Green Pioneer that could be applied in other areas. The first is that safety-by-design is non-negotiable. As Hoare puts it: “Engineering safety into the concept from day one gave us the confidence to move faster and earned the trust of regulators and partners.”
The second lesson is to think in terms of learning platforms, rather than pilot projects. “We learned to treat each trial, voyage, and bunkering operation not as a one-off event,” says Hoare, “but as a learning platform to inform regulation, improve systems, and accelerate replication.”
The third lesson is about the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration. “The diversity of expertise was a competitive advantage,” says Hoare. “Blending marine engineering, safety, operations, regulatory, commercial and stakeholder engagement capabilities created solutions no single discipline could achieve.”
Fourth, transparency was critical in building trust. As Hoare puts it: “Sharing data, lessons, and setbacks openly made partners more willing to co-create solutions.”
Finally, people and culture determine success. “The breakthrough came from mindset,” says Hoare. It was key to demonstrate “curiosity, humility, resilience, and the willingness to challenge how things have always been done.”
Hoare concludes that The Green Pioneer’s journey has done some “heavy lifting” in the advocacy and policy space, “showing that ammonia isn’t just a fuel for the future but a fuel that can be used safely right now”.
That has smoothed the way for future adopters: deep-sea Newcastlemax bulk carrier cargo ships, under construction through shipping partners and contracted to Fortescue, will enter shipping supply chains from 2026, for example, moving from demonstration to commercial deployment. Moreover, it provides a model for how industry and government can work together on energy transition projects to accelerate investment and impact at scale.
