Trafigura has signed a contract for four medium-sized gas carriers, featuring WinGD dual fuel ammonia engines. The vessels will be built at HD Hyundai Mipo Dockyard in Ulsan, South Korea, and the first ship will be delivered in 2028.
ClassNK, DNV, Lloyd’s Register and the American Bureau of Shipping have all released new resources to support the implementation of marine ammonia fuel. We explore vessel operation guidelines and best-practice recommendations, seafarer training programs, and models for ammonia leak dispersion onboard vessels.
We explore recent, full-scale, dual-fuel engine testing results from leading maritime vendors such as MAN Energy Solutions and WinGD. Testing indicates negligible emissions of the potent GHG N2O (which can be fully eliminated with catalytic treatment), and significantly lower NOX emissions for engines running in ammonia mode, compared to running on fuel oil or diesel. Overall, compliance with IMO Tier II and III emission limits is well within reach for the first generation of ammonia-fueled maritime engines.
The UK’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency has set out timelines and processes for operators of ammonia-fueled vessels to engage with authorities in preparation for operations in UK waters. Ammonia fuel is included in the Department of Transport’s first-ever Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy, with as much as 70% of the forecast fuel mix being ammonia by 2050.
The regulations send a clear signal to industry – business as usual operations will become significantly more expensive, and zero or near-zero (ZNZ) technologies and fuels represent one of the better opportunities to make deep emissions cuts. Following the historic vote at the IMO, we explore critical timelines for the new regulations, compliance thresholds, mechanisms for vessels to comply, and uncertainties that remain.
The Newcastlemax vessel is expected to be delivered to Fortescue by the end of 2026, and will feature WinGD’s X‑DF‑A dual-fuel engine. The vessel is one of a series under construction at Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding in China.
The collaboration integrates MAN’s dual-fuel engine technology with COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry's repair and vessel modification capabilities.
Over the course of the demonstration, NYK analyzed the emission reductions achieved, with a peak of 94.4% reductions using 94.8% ammonia fuel under 75% engine load (similar results at 100% engine load).
At Singapore Maritime Week, Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore and Australia’s national science agency CSIRO announced funding for eight maritime decarbonization projects, including ammonia safety training, and an AI-based safety management system. MPA also signed agreements with ABS, the Ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp-Brugges, and confirmed it has contributed to early work on training guidelines for the safe handling of methanol and ammonia at the IMO.
Between 2026 and 2029, Mitsui O.S.K Lines will add three ammonia-powered Capesize bulkers and six chemical tankers to its fleet through joint ownership and chartership with CMB.TECH. MOL, Namura Shipbuilding and Mitsubishi Shipbuilding have also received AiP from ClassNK for a large-size ammonia-powered ammonia carrier.