Swiss engine designer WinGD has completed what is said to be the first type approval and factory acceptance testing programme for an ammonia-fuelled two-stroke marine engine, moving ammonia propulsion closer to commercial use. The tests on the X52DF-A-1.0 engine were completed in January at the engine works of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries in South Korea. The programme was witnessed by Lloyd’s Register, alongside representatives from other classification societies, and supervised by the Belgian owner, Exmar. The 52-bore engine is destined for a 46,000 cu m LPG/ammonia carrier being built for Exmar, with the vessels expected to become the first ammonia-fuelled gas carriers to enter service. The X-DF-A engine uses high-pressure ammonia injection supported by a pilot fuel dose of about 5% at full load and is designed to deliver similar load response and fuel efficiency to conventional diesel engines in both ammonia and diesel modes. Emissions testing showed nitrogen oxide levels during ammonia operation below those recorded in diesel mode, while nitrous oxide emissions were measured at very low levels, the company said. WinGD has built an early orderbook of around 30 ammonia-fuelled engines across multiple vessel types, including gas carriers, bulkers, tankers and containerships. The engine completed both type approval testing (TAT) and factory acceptance testing ahead of installation, with sea trials on ammonia fuel scheduled in the coming months. “Demonstrating the world’s first TAT for an ammonia-fuelled two-stroke engine with strong results demonstrates that ammonia propulsion can meet the highest standards of reliability, performance and safety expected by the industry for commercial marine application,” said Sotiris Topaloglou, global head of testing and validation at WinGD. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1_95_0_1_2'); }); TagsAmmonia Belgium South Korea Switzerland