World's first ocean-going ammonia-fuelled vessel delivered to Exmar, powered by WinGD engine

Swiss marine power company WinGD has achieved a milestone in zero-carbon shipping with the delivery of the Antwerpen, the world's first ocean-going vessel designed to run on ammonia fuel. The 46,000 cubic meter LPG/ammonia carrier was built for Belgian shipowner Exmar and is powered by WinGD's X52DF-A ammonia-fuelled engine. The vessel completed sea trials in South Korea, demonstrating load handling and fuel efficiency comparable to diesel engines while using ammonia with only a 5% pilot fuel dose at full load. This is the first of four ammonia dual-fuel gas carriers for Exmar, each named after a Belgian city. WinGD reports 40 orders for the X-DF-A engine across multiple vessel segments including gas carriers, bulk carriers, tankers, and container ships. The real-world operation data from Antwerpen will help build confidence in ammonia as a marine fuel for deep-sea shipping, which is a key part of the maritime industry's plan to reach net zero emissions by 2050.