WinGD Delivers World's First Ammonia-Fueled Ocean-Going Vessel to Exmar

WinGD, a Swiss marine power company, has delivered what it claims to be the world's first ocean-going vessel specifically designed to operate on ammonia fuel to Belgian shipowner Exmar.

Named Antwerpen, the vessel has a cargo capacity of 46,000 cubic meters. It is the first of four new medium-sized ammonia dual-fuel gas carriers, with the remaining vessels also to be named after Belgian cities.

The project was jointly completed by WinGD, Exmar, HD Hyundai Engine & Machinery Division, and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries.

Sebastian Hensel, Vice President of Research and Development at WinGD, said: "By bringing together the expertise of the entire maritime industry chain, we have proven that ammonia-fueled propulsion systems can move from concept to commercial reality with safe, reliable, and fully automated engine technology."

Sotiris Topaloglou, Global Head of Testing and Validation at WinGD, stated that this delivery is the result of years of research and development, extensive testing, and rigorous validation work. It has successfully overcome all technical challenges and created a propulsion solution that is not only safe and reliable but also capable of delivering the emission reductions needed for the shipping industry to achieve its 2050 net-zero emission target.

The vessel is equipped with an X-DF-A two-stroke engine that uses high-pressure ammonia fuel injection technology. It is supplemented with approximately 5% pilot fuel as an ignition source when operating at full load.

In January of this year, the engine successfully completed type approval tests and factory acceptance tests at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' Engine & Machinery Works in South Korea. The testing process was witnessed by classification society Lloyd's Register, with representatives from major classification societies also participating, and was completed under the supervision of Exmar.