Norwegian producer Yara International has revealed further Japanese cooperation as it seeks to set up an ammonia bunkering network.

The collaboration with JERA, Japan's largest power generation company, and petroleum products supplier Idemitsu Kosan, is the Oslo-listed giant's third deal involving the clean fuel in the country in the last three months.

Japan is looking to expand its imports of ammonia to 3m tonnes by 2030 and 30m tonnes by 2050 as a way of decarbonising the country.

JERA and Yara teamed up in May to work on decarbonising power production.

The companies have since been working on cooperation across the clean ammonia value chain.

They will now look to assess the potential of an ammonia bunkering and distribution business.

Bringing in Idemitsu Kosan gives the partners access to an extensive distribution network already in place for refined oil.

"Leveraging the combined strengths of JERA, Idemitsu Kosan and Yara will enable the development of an end-to-end clean ammonia supply chain, which is critical for the decarbonisation of Japan's energy, shipping and industrial sectors," said Magnus Krogh Ankarstrand, president of Yara Clean Ammonia.

Clean ammonia refers to blue ammonia, derived from a carbon capture and storage process, and green ammonia, produced from renewable energy.

Shunan City base

A distribution network and bunkering business will be based at Idemitsu Kosan's Tokuyama Complex in Shunan City.

Talks will now take place with major players in the power generation, agriculture and oil refining industries.

JERA produces about 30% of Japan's electricity.

Yara, which owns a fleet of LPG carriers, has signed a raft of agreements in the past few weeks.

The company is developing an ammonia-fuelled gas carrier in partnership with Japanese shipowner NYK Line.

The two have teamed up with Nihon Shipyard and classification society ClassNK to launch a study into a new vessel design.

And the group is also working with trader Trafigura to develop and promote the use of ammonia as a clean fuel for shipping.

The two outfits have signed a memorandum of understanding to work together on green and blue ammonia fuel infrastructure and market opportunities.