Swiss-headquartered engine developer WinGD reports that its first ethanol-fueled X-DF-M/E engines have been ordered for the two 325,000 dwt Guabalmax ore carriers to be built for China’s Shandong Shipping Corporation to operate under long-term charters for Brazil mining giant Vale. Vale announces first ethanol-powered ocean-going vessel To built in China by Beihai Shipbuilding, each be powered by a six-cylinder, 820 mm-bore 6X82DF-M/E engine intended to run primarily on ethanol fuel. The engines will be the first of the X-DF-M/E platform optimized for primarily ethanol use. The fuel supply and injection pressure will be modified from WinGD’s methanol-fueled engine concept to account for the difference in energy density between the two fuels, which otherwise share very similar properties and combustion characteristics. The contract includes options for further engine deliveries should the vessel series be extended. “These first ethanol-fueled X-DF-M/E engines build on more than a decade of intensive investigation into alcohol fuels including ethanol and methanol,” said Volkmar Galke, WinGD’s executive director sales. “Securing orders for a top-tier charterer and ship operator is the best possible validation of those efforts. This is a clear signal that the shipboard technology and fuel infrastructure around ethanol as a marine fuel are ready, giving confidence to others considering ethanol as an option for maritime decarbonization.” Ethanol is gaining attention as a ship fuel due to its widespread and cost-competitive availability in several markets. These include Brazil, from where the vessels will deliver iron ore to China. According to Vale’s own investigations, the use of ethanol can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by around 90% compared with heavy fuel oil, depending on the fuel type and lifecycle assumptions. Rodrigo Bermelho, Vale’s director of shipping, said: “The adoption of ethanol as an alternative fuel is part of Vale’s