Order book grows for ammonia-powered engines & vessels
By on December 18, 2024
WinGD: additional orders for ammonia-powered engines
Click to enlarge. WinGD has about 30 orders of its X-DF-A ammonia-powered engines which are set to become available for service in 2026. Source: WinGD.
Tianjin Southwest Shipping has placed an order for the 52-bore, 6-cylinder version of WinGD’s ammonia-powered X-DF-A engines. The engines will be installed on seven 25,000 m3 and 41,000 m3 LPG/ammonia dual fuel carriers that are scheduled to enter service in Q3 2026. The orders will be built by Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding near Hong Kong, China.
WinGD’s X-DF-A ammonia technology has been in development since 2019 and received approvals in principle from leading classification societiesThus far, WinGD has secured nearly 30 orders for ammonia-fueled X-DF-A engines, with sizes ranging from 52- to 72-bore, for various vessel types including bulk carriers, gas carriers, container vessels and oil tankers.
The demand for gas carriers is growing rapidly as the central role of ammonia in the hydrogen economy is becoming clear. WinGD has already reported multiple orders of its new X-DF-A engine in this segment, and these new orders – a result of our strong relationships in the Chinese shipping market – further the transition towards a sustainable shipping industry that can operate on the zero-carbon energy sources it carries.
Volkmar Galke, WinGD Director Sales, in his organisation’s official press release, 21 November 2024
Hapag-Lloyd: ammonia-ready ships for a multi-fuel fleet
Germany’s largest international shipping and container transportation company Hapag-Lloyd has ordered 24 new container ships from two Chinese shipyards. The order includes 12 ammonia-ready newbuilds, each with a 16,800 TEU capacity, to be built by Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Group. The additional 12 ships, each with a capacity of 9,200 TEU, will be built by the New Times Shipbuilding Company Ltd. and will replace older units in the Hapag-Lloyd fleet which are due to reach end of service life by 2030.
With a combined capacity of 312,000 TEU and $4 billion total investment, the newbuilds will feature fuel-efficient, low-emission, high-pressure, liquefied gas dual-fuel engines. They will also have capacity to run on biomethane, reducing CO2 emissions by about 95% relative to conventional propulsion systems. The new vessels are set to be delivered between 2027 and 2029.
Through fleet modernization and adopting new propulsion technologies and alternative fuels, Hapag-Lloyd plans to achieve net-zero fleet operations by 2045. The company, which operates a 287-strong modern container ships fleet with a total capacity of 2.2 million TEU, has set an intermediate goal of 33% reduction (relative to 2022) in absolute GHG emissions from fleet operations by 2030. In April this year, the company announced plans to retrofit five vessels to methanol propulsion in efforts to prepare itself for a “multifuel future”.
This investment is one of the largest in the recent history of Hapag-Lloyd, and it represents a significant milestone for our company as it pursues the goals of its Strategy 2030, such as to grow while also modernizing and decarbonizing our fleet. Operating a fleet of more efficient vessels will also enhance our competitive position, and thanks to the increase in capacity, we will continue to offer our customers a global, high-quality product.
Rolf Habben Jansen, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd AG, in his organisation’s official press release, 6 November 2024