WinGD completes testing of ammonia dual-fuel engine in China

The ammonia dual-fuel engine will be installed on the first of 10 bulk carriers being built for Belgian shipping company CMB.TECH.

IMAGE: World's first ammonia-powered vessel Antwerpen. EXMAR.

Swiss engine developer Winterthur Gas & Diesel (WinGD) has completed factory acceptance testing (FAT) of its dual-fuel ammonia engine in China.

A FAT is a quality assurance process in which newly built equipment is rigorously tested at the manufacturer’s facility to confirm it meets all specifications and is ready for installation and operation.

Testing was carried out at CSSC Engine (CSE), supervised by Lloyd’s Register (LR) and representatives from classification societies, the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and China Classification Society (CCS).

The engine will be installed on a 210,000-dwt bulk carrier being built for CMB.TECH, the first of 10 bulkers on order for the company.

WinGD stated that the CMB.TECH order demonstrates the potential for large commercial vessels to operate on ammonia fuel. The company added that it has secured orders for 40 dual-fuel ammonia engines across a range of vessel types.

Last week, the first vessel fitted with WinGD’s ammonia-fuelled engine was delivered to Belgian gas transportation firm Exmar.

The company said the new dual-fuel engine is equipped with a high-pressure ammonia injection system and requires 5% pilot fuel at full load. It delivers fuel efficiency comparable to WinGD’s equivalent diesel-fuelled engines.

WinGD added that, throughout the development and testing process, the engine achieved greenhouse gas emissions reductions of more than 90% in ammonia mode compared with diesel operation.

By Gautamee Hazarika

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