Press Release : OCI Global and VICTROL partner to Develop Refrigerated Clean Ammonia Bunkering Supply Chain in the Netherlands and Belgium
09 October 2025, 11:26
OCI Global and VICTROL partner to Develop Refrigerated Clean Ammonia Bunkering Supply Chain in the Netherlands and Belgium
Rotterdam, 09 October 2025 – OCI Global (Euronext: OCI) and VICTROL have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly develop a safe, scalable and commercially viable supply chain for clean ammonia bunkering in the Netherlands and Belgium. This strategic collaboration marks an important step in accelerating the decarbonization of the maritime industry.
Under the terms of the collaboration:
OCI’s subsidiary OCI Ammonia Distribution B.V. will lead the sourcing and import of clean ammonia – both blue and green – from key global production hubs in the US, Middle East, North Africa, and Asia. The molecules will be transported by sea-going vessels to the OCI Terminal Europoort (OTE) ammonia import terminal in the Port of Rotterdam, where they will be safely stored, distributed, and made available for use as marine fuel. OCI is concurrently building partnerships with a growing network of shipowners and end-users who will adopt ammonia as a clean fuel for their fleets.
VICTROL will design, build, and operate a liquid ammonia bunker barge. This critical piece of infrastructure will load refrigerated ammonia at OCI’s terminal and deliver it directly to ships in the ports, as well as to inland industrial off-takers. With decades of expertise in barging and bunkering operations, VICTROL will ensure safe and reliable last-mile delivery to vessels that will consume ammonia as a low- or zero-carbon fuel.
Through OTE, OCI owns and operates the only independent large-scale ammonia import terminal in the Port of Rotterdam. The port’s strategic location allows for seamless connection between overseas supply and European demand, enabling the continent to adequately address its anticipated future hydrogen deficit. With permits in place to expand OTE’s storage capacity from 30,000 metric tons to 90,000 metric tons and throughput up to 2 million tons per year in line with increasing market demand, OCI is positioning Rotterdam to be Europe’s leading hub for the distribution and storage of clean ammonia.
Both companies are working closely with the Port of Rotterdam and the relevant authorities to ensure all safety and regulatory frameworks are in place on time. The partnership builds on the port’s first-ever successful ammonia ship-to-ship bunkering pilot in April 2025, a significant milestone that raised Rotterdam’s readiness for ammonia fuel to level 7 under the International Port Readiness framework.
Driving Europe’s Clean Energy Transition
Ammonia is emerging as the most scalable and investable clean hydrogen carrier and maritime fuel. Ammonia has been safely produced, transported, and traded globally at scale for decades. As new blue and green production capacity comes online in the coming years, these low-carbon molecules can be seamlessly integrated into the existing infrastructure and global supply chain, enabling their use as a clean fuel for the next generation of vessels. With regulatory momentum from FuelEU Maritime and the IMO’s Net Zero targets, ammonia is poised to become a cornerstone of the maritime energy transition.
About OCI
OCI owns and operates the only independent large-scale ammonia import terminal in the Port of Rotterdam (OTE) with the ability to serve third-party demand. OCI sources clean ammonia from key global markets, and partners with shipowners and industrial users across Europe to enable and encourage the adoption of ammonia as a fuel. Besides the permits in place and expansion plans already underway, OCI already have available capacity to cover third party demand.
About VICTROL
VICTROL is a leading bunkering service company active in Belgium and the Netherlands, with a proven track record in LNG supply to the maritime industry. Leveraging its expertise, VICTROL is developing sustainable tank barges in support of energy transition and greenhouse gas reduction initiatives, amongst which a state-of-the-art ammonia bunker barge to deliver refrigerated ammonia to inland customers and perform ship-to-ship bunkering for ammonia-fueled vessels.
Quote – Aviv Bar Tal, Global Vice President at OCI
“Ammonia is essential to the energy transition – the most scalable, policy-backed, and commercially viable clean hydrogen solution available today. The unparalleled combination of OCI’s expansive sourcing network, proprietary import terminal and valuable end-user partnerships, with VICTROL’s unique expertise in bunkering infrastructure, is creating Europe’s first end-to-end ammonia fuel supply chain. Together, we are proud to be positioning Rotterdam as the leading global hub for clean ammonia and maritime decarbonization.”
Quote-Matthijs van Doorn, Vice President Commercial at Port of Rotterdam Authority
"The port of Rotterdam is preparing for a multi-fuel future to decarbonize global shipping, with ammonia as one of the future fuels. It is great to see this strategic partnership develop after the successful ammonia bunkering pilot in April 2025, where both OCI and Victrol also played an important role. Such collaborations are instrumental to create safe and sustainable supply chains and are key for Rotterdam to advance its preparedness for ammonia bunkering.”
The OCI and Victrol teams that worked to achieve this milestone flanked by Port of Rotterdam’s Sustainable Transport and Clean Ammonia program teams
For further information please contact:
OCI, Davit Otarishvili, davit.otarishvili@oci-global.com
Victrol, Martin Pot, martin.pot@victrol.be