WinGD, a Swiss marine power business, will deliver X-DF-M methanol-fuelled engines for a series of six container vessels being built in China by Yangzijiang Shipbuilding.
The 9,000 TEU vessels will be powered by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Engine & Machinery Division (HHI-EMD) X82DF-M engines, which will be delivered in August 2025.
The new deal increases WinGD’s methanol engine orders into the 82-bore size and offers possibilities for more engines. Early interest in the X92DF-M resulted in a contract for four engines to power ultra-large container vessels being built for Cosco Shipping Lines, as previously revealed.
Both the X-DF-M and ammonia-fueled X-DF-A engines, as previously announced, will be available for delivery in the first quarter of 2025. The X-DF-M engines’ combustion principle and engine platform are based on WinGD’s newest X-Engines, which are reinforced with high-pressure methanol injection. Many of the world’s largest container ships are already powered by X-Engines, notably the extremely efficient X92-B and X82-2.0 engines.
Furthermore, X-DF-M engines provide comparable performance to X-Engines in both methanol and diesel modes, as well as reduced pilot fuel needs achieved by carefully regulated common rail injection and NOx Tier III compliance in both modes with selective catalytic reduction. As soon as X-DF-M engines in the appropriate bore sizes become available, the new engine idea will be retrofittable to the X-Engine series. The new vessel series will enter service in 2026 and 2027.
“This order confirms that our X-DF-M engines will be in service long before green methanol is widely available and before regulatory requirements come into force, giving operators time to build experience with the new fuel and engines. We are delighted that one of the biggest and most influential container lines has also invested in our X-DF-M technology, sending a strong signal to all operators currently making their own alternative fuel decisions,” stated Volkmar Galke, director of sales at WinGD.
