The Swiss propulsion company WinGD has introduced a two-stroke marine engine powered by ammonia for the first time.
The main engine of type “X52DF-A” has been installed on a 46,000 m³ LPG/ammonia tanker, that the Belgian shipping company Exmar is currently having built by HD Hyundai Mipo in South Korea. Once commissioned, the newbuild will be the first vessel of its kind to use ammonia for propulsion.
The engine was manufactured by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries’ Engine & Machinery Business Unit (HHI-EMD). Meanwhile, WinGD’s laboratory results, including low emissions and efficient diesel-equivalent performance, have been confirmed in testing.
“Ammonia will play a key role in the decarbonization of our industry,” emphasized Sebastian Hensel, Vice President R&D at WinGD. “Thanks to our partners like Exmar, we were able to make this technology ready for the market. We are proud to be at the forefront of the energy transition.”
The engine operates with high-pressure ammonia injection and a low ignition oil quantity of 5% at full load. According to WinGD, performance, dynamics and fuel efficiency are comparable to conventional X engines in both ammonia and diesel operation.
WinGD, based in Winterthur (Switzerland), has already received around 30 orders for the new X-DF-A series, including for gas tankers, bulk carriers and container ships.
