Swiss-headquartered engine manufacturer WinGD has been awarded the first ever approval in principle (AiP) for a two-stroke engine fuelled by ammonia by classification society Lloyd’s Register (LR).
The AiP is for WinGD’s X-DF-A dual-fuel range, with the first engine in the series, the 52-bore X52DF-A, due for delivery in the final quarter of 2024. Under the AiP process, LR considered the engine safety concept, risk assessments and preliminary engine and fuel supply system design, as well as ensuring the materials used were compatible with ammonia fuel.
Dominik Schneiter
“Time is of the essence as shipping looks to clean power solutions. This approval shows the industry that WinGD is leading the way in bringing carbon-free ammonia power to the deep-sea fleet,” says Dominik Schneiter, WinGD’s CEO. “With the support of expert partners including Lloyd’s Register, these technologies will be available long before emission targets require them, giving operators vital space to plan and gain experience.”
WinGD has already announced it will extend the X‑DF‑A platform to a 72-bore variant in 2025, with other sizes to follow based on market needs. Like its methanol-fuelled counterpart – the X-DF-M – the X‑DF‑A will operate on a high-pressure Diesel-cycle combustion process in both diesel and ammonia modes, with the liquid ammonia fuel injection supported by a small quantity of pilot fuel.
Suitable for a range of vessels , including gas and bulk carriers, the new engines are already attracting strong interest within the industry. Last week, WinGD signed an MoU with Korean operator KSS Line to explore the use of the engines in future newbuilding projects. Earlier this year, WinGD also announced an agreement with Belgian cleantech company to install the 72-bore variant X72DF on a series of ten 210,000dwt bulkers to be built at a Chinese shipyard in 2025-2026.
WinGD will begin validation of its ammonia-fuelled engine concept on single and multi-cylinder test engines, in Winterthur and Shanghai, later this year.
In February, Dr. Andreas Schmid, WinGD’s general manager for technology development, WinGD, gave TNA an exclusive insight into the design challenges of ammonia-fuelled engines. You can read the article here.
