Wärtsilä ammonia engine to power short-sea shipping in Norway
By on February 01, 2026
Skarv Shipping selects technology for newbuild timber transport vessel
Click to learn more. Wärtsilä will provide its four-stroke, ammonia-powered Wärtsilä 25 engine (left) to Skarv Shipping for deployment on a short-sea timber transport vessel (right), to be built in China. Source: Wärtsilä and Skarv Shipping.
Wärtsilä will provide its four-stroke, ammonia-powered Wärtsilä 25 engine to Skarv Shipping Solutions for deployment on a new timber transport vessel to be built at the Huanghai shipyard in China. The electric-ammonia hybrid vessel design was unveiled last year, and the first newbuild is expected to commence short-sea timber transport routes by mid-2027. As well as the engine itself, Skarv has also ordered Wärtsilä’s complete fuel gas supply system (AmmoniaPac), the Ammonia Release Mitigation System (WARMS), and a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system designed for exhaust treatment from ammonia engines. Delivery of the full equipment set is anticipated in late 2026.
Our aim is to prove that it is possible to renew the European short-sea fleet while making it more climate-friendly. That means implementing a whole array of technologies. We see ammonia as one of the future fuels and are happy to see strong European companies like Wärtsilä leading the push towards carbon-free propulsion. The Wärtsilä 25 Ammonia solution promises exactly what we are looking for: robust safety and environmental measures combined with advanced energy efficient technology.
Jan Øivind Svardal, CEO – Skarv Shipping Solutions, in Wärtsilä’s official press release, 27 Jan 2026
The Wärtsilä 25 Ammonia engine and the whole solution is the result of extensive research and testing over a number of years, in line with our commitment to decarbonising shipping operations. Through our focus on continuous improvement, we have developed the Wärtsilä 25 engine, along with our associated ammonia handling systems, to deliver outstanding levels of safety, efficiency, reliability and sustainability. This solution offers the marine industry a future-ready solution that is available today.
Roger Holm, President of Wärtsilä Marine & Executive Vice President at Wärtsilä Corporation, in his organisation’s official press release, 27 Jan 2026
Released for commercial orders in late 2022, the engine was developed by building on experience in low pressure dual-fuel (DF) engines running on LNG. Extensive testing on the Otto Cycle-based engine demonstrated that risks to vessel crews when operating with ammonia fuel can be safely mitigated (or eliminated altogether). Proper exhaust after treatment (along with control of operational conditions) can reduce the GHG emissions from the engine by at least 90% compared to conventional fuels, and Wärtsilä presented detailed emission results from the engine last year.