WinGD signs MoU for ammonia collaboration

WinGD and Japanese shipbuilder and technology developer Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enter into a partnership on ammonia-fuelled vessels. WinGD will apply its X-DF-A ammonia-fueled engines to a range of vessel designs, with Mitsubishi both designing the vessels and completing the fuel chain with its ammonia fuel supply system (AFSS).

WinGD and Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. have signed an MoU to enter into a partnership on ammonia-fuelled vessels. (Photo: WinGD)

Under the partnership, WinGD will develop the engines at appropriate sizes for the vessel designs, providing Mitsubishi with the specifications for installation and the requirements for all auxiliary fuel systems. Mitsubishi will design the vessels, set performance parameters for the engines and further develop its existing AFSS for use with WinGD’s ammonia engines.

According to Manabu Kawakado, head of Marine Engineering Centre, Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., the collaboration will give both an important advantage in using ammonia in marine engines to meet IMO decarbonization targets. “It will set the path for the new generation of technology applicable to a wide range of vessels over the next decades,” Kawakado added.

“This project will allow WinGD and Mitsubishi to make further progress in bringing ammonia-fueled capability to merchant vessels within our established future fuel development timeframe,” Dominik Schneiter, vice president R&D, WinGD, noted.

He viewed the collaboration as a timely opportunity to apply X-DF-A engines across a wider range of bore sizes, with the aim to develop their applications and critical fuel elements across multiple vessel types, while maintaining the company’s high standards for environmental impact and for crew safety.

The project will commence in the third quarter of 2023, with a scheduled timeline that could place vessels in service by 2027.