The shipping company Exmar LPG is currently having two new gas tankers built in Korea. Wärtsilä Gas Solutions will supply an ammonia fuel system for these two newbuildings.
The new gas tankers, which will run on ammonia fuel, are being built by the shipbuilding company Hyundai Mipo Dockyards (HMD). The client, Exmar LPG, is a joint venture between Exmar, a provider of maritime and offshore solutions, and Seapeak, an operator of liquefied petroleum gas vessels.
According to Wärtsilä Gas Solutions, the gas tankers will be the first ocean-going vessels to be powered by dual-fuel engines that can also run on ammonia. The engines will be supplied by WinGD.
Ammonia instead of LPG
The vessels are part of a series of four vessels for which Wärtsilä has already been contracted to supply the cargo handling and fuel supply systems. All four vessels were originally ordered to run on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) as fuel. In October, Exmar placed an order with Wärtsilä to convert the fuel systems of two vessels to run on ammonia. This order was booked in the first quarter of 2024.
“It is of course a challenge to make such a decision, which requires the use of the latest technology. Wärtsilä has the experience and technical expertise to minimize this risk and was therefore selected as a key partner for this ground-breaking project,” said Carl-Antoine Saverys, Chief Executive Officer of Exmar.
Wärtsilä is a long-standing partner
The entire scope of supply includes the liquid ammonia fuel supply system as well as the process engineering and dynamic simulation. The system includes low and high pressure fuel pumps, fuel pressure and temperature controls and heat exchangers. Delivery to the shipyard is planned for 2025.
“We have been working closely with HMD and Exmar for a long time and are proud to be involved in this exciting project. Operating on ammonia fuel will reduce CO2 emissions by around 90%. This is fully in line with Wärtsilä’s strategy to enable carbon-free ship operations and is a confirmation of our ability to deliver future-proof systems that can handle a new generation of marine fuels,” says Stein Thoresen, Head of Sales Marine, Wärtsilä Gas Solutions.
