WinGD, Mitsubishi Shipbuilding complete initial design of ammonia fuel supply system

Swiss marine power company WinGD and Japanese shipbuilder and technology developer Mitsubishi Shipbuilding have completed the initial design of an ammonia fuel supply system (AFSS) for vessels powered by WinGD’s X‑DF‑A ammonia-fueled engines.

The AFSS design is the first result of a wide-ranging partnership announced last year that will develop solutions for ammonia engines and fuel systems that can be applied across a range of vessel designs.

The project will now proceed to the detailed design phase, ensuring that ammonia capability is available to ocean-going vessel operators ahead of regulatory requirements to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

As well as the fuel supply system – including a fuel valve unit, fuel conditioning and all related piping – the concept includes several features to enable the safe use of ammonia as a marine fuel. These include an ammonia-catching system as well as purging and venting arrangements.

“Our partnership with WinGD has made rapid progress in less than a year since we launched the cooperation. Concluding the initial AFSS design at this stage puts us in a strong position to offer a complete fuel system to ship operators as demand for carbon-free ammonia fuel grows over the coming years,” Manabu Kawakado, Head of Marine Engineering Centre, Mitsubishi Shipbuilding, said.

“At present, our primary focus is on advancing the technology of our clean-fuel solutions including our ammonia-powered X-DF-A engines, with the first delivery expected in Q2 2025. This collaboration will make sure that the auxiliary systems and integration capability are in place to apply our engine designs, and developing the fuel supply system concept is a crucial step in bringing ammonia fuel capability to the marine market,” Sebastian Hensel, Director R&D, WinGD, commented.

Under the partnership, WinGD will develop X-DF-A engines at appropriate sizes for a range of vessel designs, providing the shipbuilder with the specifications for installing the engines 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.

Japan is said to be a key market for WinGD engines, with recent notable engine and system integration orders for the LNG-hybrid vessel series for NYK Line and K Line. The country has also long been a core element of WinGD’s technology development process.

In December last year, WinGD signed an agreement with Mitsui E&S Diesel United (MESDU), part of Japanese shipbuilding company Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding group, that will see WinGD engines being built at the latter’s main Tamano Works for the first time.