WinGD, a Swiss marine power company, and Mitsubishi Shipbuilding, a Japanese shipbuilder and technology developer, have successfully finalized the initial design of an ammonia fuel supply system (AFSS) tailored for vessels equipped with WinGD’s X‑DF‑A ammonia-fueled engines.
This AFSS design marks the first milestone achieved through a comprehensive partnership established last year. The collaboration aims to develop solutions for both ammonia engines and fuel systems applicable across various vessel designs.
Moving forward, the project will advance to the detailed design phase, ensuring that the capability to utilize ammonia is readily available to operators of ocean-going vessels, aligning with anticipated regulatory mandates aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
In addition to the fuel supply system, which encompasses components like a fuel valve unit, fuel conditioning equipment, and associated piping, the concept incorporates multiple safety features essential for the secure utilization of ammonia as a marine fuel. These features include an ammonia-catching system, as well as purging and venting arrangements.
“Our partnership with WinGD has made rapid progress in less than a year since we launched the cooperation. Concluding the initial AFSS design at this stage puts us in a strong position to offer a complete fuel system to ship operators as demand for carbon-free ammonia fuel grows over the coming years,” stated Manabu Kawakado, head of Marine Engineering Centre at Mitsubishi Shipbuilding.
As part of the collaboration, WinGD will engineer X-DF-A engines in various sizes suitable for a diverse array of vessel configurations. This will involve furnishing the shipbuilder with engine installation specifications and outlining the necessary auxiliary fuel system requirements.
Concurrently, Mitsubishi will undertake the vessel design process, establish performance benchmarks for the engines, and enhance its existing AFSS to align with the specifications of WinGD’s ammonia engines.
“At present, our primary focus is on advancing the technology of our clean-fuel solutions including our ammonia-powered X-DF-A engines, with the first delivery expected in Q2 2025. This collaboration will make sure that the auxiliary systems and integration capability are in place to apply our engine designs, and developing the fuel supply system concept is a crucial step in bringing ammonia fuel capability to the marine market,” commented Sebastian Hensel, director of R&D at WinGD.
