Navigator Holdings, Yara invest into Azane Fuel Solutions

Yara Growth Ventures, the venture investment arm of Yara International ASA (YARIY), and Navigator (NVGS) announced that they have each successfully acquired a 14.5% interest in the Norwegian startup Azane Fuel Solutions AS. Subject to customary conditions, Azane intends to build the world’s first ammonia bunkering network, with Yara Clean Ammonia already pre-ordering 15 units from Azane. The investment made by Yara and Navigator is expected to enable Azane to begin construction of its first bunkering unit for ammonia supply in Norway, aiming to kickstart the transition to zero-carbon fuels for maritime transportation. Future value creation for Azane is expected to come through international expansion with its bunkering solutions and broadening of its offerings in ammonia fuel handling technology. Mads Peter Zacho, Chief Executive Officer, Navigator, stated: “Green ammonia is crucial to the future success of carbon free shipping, and Azane is working to provide a solution to a clear and important gap in the ammonia fuel value chain. Global ammonia demand is expected to triple by 2050, with a significant part being for ship fuel. In an increasingly strong regulatory environment towards greener fuels in the shipping industry, I am very pleased Navigator is not only making efforts to become a more sustainable business itself, but also investing in scale-ups that we believe can support and expedite the transition across our industry. We look forward to strengthening our working relationships with Yara and Azane through this partnership.”