WinGD has delivered ANTWERPEN, the world’s first ocean-going vessel designed to operate on ammonia fuel.
The vessel was delivered to EXMAR after completing successful sea trials.
ANTWERPEN is powered by WinGD’s X52DF-A ammonia-fuelled engine. It is the first of four ammonia dual-fuel gas carriers being built for EXMAR.
The 46,000-cubic-metre LPG and ammonia carrier marks a major step for ammonia as a marine fuel.
WinGD developed the project with EXMAR, HD Hyundai Engine Machinery Division and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries.
Sea trials confirmed that the X-DF-A engine delivers fuel efficiency and performance comparable to conventional diesel engines.
The engine uses high-pressure ammonia injection and requires only a 5% pilot fuel dose at full load.
WinGD completed engine testing in January 2026 in South Korea. The company then successfully completed sea trials in May before delivering the vessel in June.
Sebastian Hensel, Vice President of Research and Development at WinGD, said the project proves that ammonia propulsion is now commercially viable.
Sotiris Topaloglou, Global Head of Testing and Validation at WinGD, said the industry achieved several ammonia-fuel milestones during 2026, including engine testing, sea trials and vessel delivery.
Carl-Antoine Saverys, CEO of EXMAR Group, said the project demonstrates that ammonia propulsion has moved beyond theory and into operation.
WinGD has secured 40 orders for its X-DF-A engine across gas carriers, bulk carriers, tankers and container ships.
The company expects ammonia to play a key role in shipping’s decarbonisation efforts and future fuel mix.
