WinGD and Samsung Heavy Industries partner on future fuel solutions

Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) has signed a memorandum of understanding with engine manufacturer WinGD to collaborate on the development and integration of ammonia engines for newbuild vessels. The agreement, signed at the Gastech conference in Singapore, aims to prepare WinGD’s X-DF-A dual-fuel ammonia engines for integration with wider ammonia fuel systems and auxiliary machinery across various vessel designs, including oil tankers, container ships, and ammonia carriers. The project aligns with WinGD’s plan to introduce X-DF-A ammonia engines into service from the first quarter of 2025. SHI’s Chief Technology Officer, Haeki Jang, stated that the collaboration would allow the company to offer customers future fuel vessel solutions to meet their decarbonization targets. WinGD’s Director of Sales, Volkmar Galke, highlighted the opportunity to participate in the future fuel preparations of one of the world’s leading shipbuilders.

WinGD plans to begin validation tests of its ammonia-fueled engine concept on test engines in Winterthur and Shanghai later this year. The validation tests will follow combustion concept testing conducted in 2021, along with simulation and rig tests to understand the emissions characteristics and injection requirements of ammonia fuel. The X-DF-A engine, like its methanol-fueled counterpart X-DF-M, operates on a high-pressure Diesel-cycle combustion process, with liquid ammonia fuel injection supported by a low portion of pilot fuel.

This collaboration between SHI and WinGD reflects the growing interest in ammonia as a potential fuel for the shipping industry’s decarbonization efforts. By developing and integrating ammonia engines into newbuild vessels, the companies aim to provide customers with future-proof solutions to meet their sustainability goals. The validation tests planned by WinGD will further advance the understanding of ammonia as a viable fuel option and contribute to the development of cleaner and more efficient maritime propulsion systems.

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