Winterthur/Antwerp – Winterthur Gas & Diesel Ltd (WinGD) will develop an ammonia-fueled two-stroke engine with Belgian shipping and cleantech group CMB.TECH. Ten bulk carriers are to be built and equipped with them at a Chinese shipyard in 2025 and 2026.
WinGD has signed an agreement with Antwerp-based Compagnie Maritime Belge(CMB.TECH) to develop two-stroke engines that run on ammonia. According to a media release, the companies intend to use this large engine to power ten bulk carriers, each weighing 210,000 tons. This series is to be built at a Chinese shipyard in 2025 and 2026. It is the first of its kind and proof that large ocean-going vessels can run on carbon-free fuels, WinGD said.
CMB will support the Winterthur-based developer of marine engine technology with its expertise in alternative fuels. The Belgian company develops, builds, owns and operates large marine and industrial applications powered by hydrogen and ammonia.
CMB CEO Alexander Saverys considers the collaboration with WinGD “a groundbreaking partnership on the path to zero emissions in shipping.” According to WinGD CEO Klaus Heim, this project offers his company “the opportunity to expand the adoption of ammonia technology across our portfolio.”
These latest engines in WinGD’s X-DF portfolio will add ammonia technology to WinGD’s X engine technology. They will reportedly be based on the X92B engine, “whose market-leading fuel efficiency makes it an ideal starting point for the development of large engines powered by ammonia.” mm
