Eastern Pacific Names 93,000 cu m Ammonia Dual-Fuel Carrier in South Korea

Eastern Pacific Shipping’s new 93,000 cu m carrier is designed to move ammonia as cargo and use ammonia as propulsion fuel. Named Terra Clove at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries’ yard in Ulsan, South Korea, the vessel is scheduled for delivery in November after sea trials. Its entry into service will put a new fuel system into commercial operation aboard a very large ammonia carrier.

The 230 m ship is the first ammonia dual-fuel commercial vessel registered under the Singapore flag. It is also the first of two ammonia dual-fuel ships HD Hyundai is building for the Singapore-based owner, controlled by Idan Ofer. The second vessel gives EPS a follow-on project with the same broad propulsion approach, though the source provides no delivery date for that ship.

Engine and cargo systems

Terra Clove is fitted with Everllence’s 6G60ME-LGIA two-stroke engine. The engine completed factory acceptance testing in April and passed type approval testing in June. These milestones preceded the vessel’s naming and scheduled sea trials, which are the remaining steps identified before its expected November delivery.

The ship has four cargo tanks and separate equipment for handling ammonia as fuel. Its safety arrangements include leak detection and emissions management systems. That combination reflects the vessel’s two functions: carrying ammonia in bulk and supplying the engine with ammonia for propulsion. The ship’s design and operating routines must account for both roles, including the handling of cargo and fuel through dedicated systems.

Ammonia’s use aboard a carrier creates practical demands for equipment, procedures and crew preparation. The development work has addressed handling, ventilation, emissions and crew readiness, according to the project partners. For operators, those areas will matter in day-to-day work: crews need to understand how the fuel system functions, how to respond to a leak indication and how the ship’s ventilation and emissions equipment fits into normal operations. The source does not detail operating limits or procedures, which will be important information as the vessel approaches commercial service.

Project work and safety focus

EPS began developing the vessel in June 2022 with the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and classification society ABS. The group worked on the design, safety requirements and approval process for an ammonia-powered gas carrier. The collaboration placed ammonia handling and crew preparedness among the project’s core design considerations.

The naming ceremony also marked a strategic partnership between EPS and the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping. Their work is expected to cover alternative fuels, dual-fuel propulsion, energy efficiency and ammonia safety, with research into methane and ammonia emissions included in the agenda. A joint white paper on VLAC design, operational safety and crew training is expected later this year.

That planned paper could offer more detail for shipowners and operators evaluating ammonia-fuelled vessels, particularly on onboard practices and training. The source does not provide findings in advance, so the operational value will depend on the guidance and evidence the publication presents. For now, the stated focus is clear: design choices, safe operations and preparing crews to handle ammonia systems.

Fleet strategy includes different fuel choices

The Terra Clove project sits within a broader build-up of EPS’s ammonia carrier fleet. Earlier this year, the company returned to China’s Jiangnan Shipyard for two additional 90,000 cu m VLACs, with delivery planned for the first half of 2028. Those ships are due to use LPG dual-fuel propulsion, rather than engines designed to burn ammonia.

The latest Jiangnan order followed six earlier bookings for 93,000 cu m VLACs at the same yard. Taken together, the orders show EPS expanding its gas carrier capacity while pursuing more than one propulsion route. The fleet plan therefore includes both ships designed to burn ammonia and ships specified for LPG dual-fuel operation; the source gives no further details on the six earlier vessels’ propulsion systems.

For cargo owners and vessel operators, the near-term marker is whether Terra Clove completes sea trials and reaches its scheduled November delivery. After that, commercial experience with the ship’s cargo and fuel systems may provide practical evidence on how ammonia dual-fuel propulsion works in service. The second HD Hyundai vessel and the expected safety and training paper are the next stated milestones in EPS’s ammonia carrier program.