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Stema Shipping joins Viridis Bulk Carriers’ ammonia consortium

Kongsberg Maritime / Azane Fuel Solutions / Viridis Bulk Carriers Concept art of a Viridis vessel at an Azane bunkering terminal
North European ammonia-powered shortsea shipping project Flexbulk – NH3 has signed its eighth charterer, aggregates shipping company Stema Shipping.

Stema joins existing charterers/cargo owners in the project Elkem, Vestkorn, Yara, BioMar, Franzefoss Minerals, Viken AT Market and Saltimport

Flexbulk – NH3 power project aims to develop and build a fleet of zero-emission vessel powered by ammonia for the European shortsea sector. Designs for the vessels have been iterated on since the project launched in 2020, adjusting to the various requirements of charterers.

Viridis aims to place orders for the ships in 2023 with deliveries from 2025.

Among the vessels’ capabilities will be a range of over 3,000 nm to match existing ships, and the ability to trade throughout Northern Europe before the deployment of full ammonia bunkering throughout the region.

Jens Madsen, Head of Chartering at Stema Shipping. “The FlexBulk project is very interesting as it takes the full value chain into consideration from bunkering stations, full logistic setup and a fleet built for the future. The program shows to be a great fit for Mibau Stema Group due to the trading area and our logistic terminal setup within same. Furthermore the project aim to reduce CO2 emissions in logistics, would be an important step towards Mibau Stema Group’s sustainability targets.”

Espen Nordstrøm at Viridis Bulk Carriers, said: “Stema is a significant player in the European short-sea market, and offers cargo volumes that fits perfectly together with the other seven charterers in the project. As the development of our new fleet is moving into the next phase, we are happy to see that more cargo owners are getting aware of the challenges laying ahead.

Viridis Bulk Carriers is a joint venture between Navigare Logistics, Amon Maritime and Mosvolds Rederi. The company plans to develop a ship platform capable of a range of configurations from gearless to self-discharger, geared to project cargo specialisation.

“We are extremely pleased to see that the Flexbulk – NH3 power project have grown to 8 ambitious charterers and Viridis Bulk Carriers will provide a carbon free solution for their logistical requirements. Together, we invite all environmentally ambitious cargo owners to collaborate with us. Zero emission shipping will be enabled through economies of scale, and our door is open for everyone who finds this interesting,” says André Risholm at Viridis Bulk Carriers.