Wärtsilä ammonia fuel system picked for EXMAR’s new gas carriers

Wärtsilä Gas Solutions, part of Finnish technology group Wärtsilä, has been contracted to deliver the fuel supply system for two new gas carriers that will operate with ammonia fuel.

The ships are being built at the South Korean shipyard Hyundai Mipo Dockyards (HMD) for ship owner EXMAR LPG, a joint venture between Exmar, a Belgium-based maritime and offshore solutions provider, and Seapeak, one of the largest independent owner-operators of liquefied natural gas vessels with offices in several countries.

These EXMAR medium size gas carriers newbuildings will be the first ever oceangoing vessels to be propelled by dual-fuel engines capable of operating with ammonia, with engines to be provided by Swiss engine company WinGD.

The vessels are part of a four-ship series for which Wärtsilä has already been contracted to supply the cargo handling and fuel supply systems. All four vessels were originally ordered to operate on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) as fuel.

However, in October 2023, EXMAR declared an option to change the fuel system and placed an order with Wärtsilä to convert the fuel systems on two vessels to be able to operate with ammonia.

“There is of course a challenge to be considered when making a first-ever operational decision such as this, requiring the latest technology. Wärtsilä has the experience and technical competence to minimise this risk, which is why they were selected as a key partner in this groundbreaking project,” Carl-Antoine Saverys, Chief Executive Officer, EXMAR, commented.

The full scope of Wärtsilä’s supply includes the liquid ammonia fuel supply system along with process engineering and dynamic simulation. The system is skid mounted with low- and high-pressure fuel pumps, controls for fuel pressure and temperature, and heat exchangers. Delivery to the yard is scheduled for 2025.

“We have had long and close cooperation with both HMD and EXMAR, and are proud to be part of this exciting project. When operating with ammonia fuel the CO2 emissions will be reduced with about 90%. This is fully in line with Wärtsilä’s strategy for enabling decarbonised shipping operations, and is an endorsement of our capabilities to deliver future-proof systems capable of handling a new generation of marine fuel” Stein Thoresen, Head of Sales Marine, Wärtsilä Gas Solutions, said.