IHI Corporation and Royal Vopak have entered into a joint development agreement to establish a new joint venture focused on developing and operating an ammonia terminal in Japan.
Building on ongoing domestic infrastructure initiatives, the two companies aim to launch operations by Japan’s fiscal year 2030. The terminal will serve as a foundation for safe and efficient ammonia storage and handling, supporting the country’s energy transition.
The project is designed to receive and store imported ammonia and to establish a reliable supply system across Japan.
As ammonia is increasingly seen as a key contributor to decarbonization, both as a fuel and as a raw material for power generation and industrial applications, the terminal will play a critical role in meeting Japan’s environmental goals.
In this partnership, Vopak brings its global expertise in tank storage and ammonia terminal operations, while IHI, Japan’s leading manufacturer of ammonia storage tanks, will spearhead efforts to build a clean ammonia value chain.
A central feature of this strategy is the creation of a hub terminal to streamline ammonia distribution via marine transport.
Kensuke Yamamoto, Executive Officer and Vice President of IHI’s Business Development Division noted that by combining our technical strengths, they aim to contribute to Japan’s energy transition and help create a sustainable society through robust ammonia infrastructure.
Lars Schaumann, Managing Director of Vopak Japan, added that this aligns with Vopak’s global strategy of investing in industrial and gas infrastructure that supports the energy transition.
This agreement follows a memorandum of understanding signed by the two companies in November 2023, which initiated joint studies on the development and operation of low-carbon, high value-added ammonia terminals in Japan.
