Wärtsilä books fuel system order for ammonia-fueled Exmar duo

3D rendering of Exmar ammonia dual-fueled mid size gas carrier [Image © Exmar]

Back in October last year Exmar LPG (a joint venture between Exmar and Seapeak) announced that two 46,000 cubic meter gas carriers on order at shipbuilder Hyundai Mipo Dockyard (HMD) would be ammonia dual-fueled. The project is moving forward and now Wärtsilä Gas Solutions has booked the order to supply the fuel supply systems for the pair, which will each have two WinGD 52-centimeter bore X52DF‑A main engines.

The vessels are part of a four ship series for which Wärtsilä had already been contracted to supply the cargo handling and fuel supply systems. All four were originally ordered to operate on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) as fuel. However, in October Exmar declared an option to change the fuel system and has now placed the fuel supply system order with Wärtsilä,

“There is of course a challenge to be considered when making a first-ever operational decision such as this, requiring the latest technology,” said Exmar CEO Carl-Antoine Saverys. “Wärtsilä has the experience and technical competence to minimize this risk, which is why they were selected as a key partner in this groundbreaking project,”

The full scope of Wärtsilä’s supply includes the liquid ammonia fuel supply system along with process engineering and dynamic simulation. The system is skid mounted with low- and high-pressure fuel pumps, controls for fuel pressure and temperature, and heat exchangers. Delivery to the yard is scheduled for 2025.

“We have had long and close cooperation with both HMD and Exmar, and are proud to be part of this exciting project,” said Stein Thoresen, head of sales marine at Wärtsilä Gas Solutions. “When operating with ammonia fuel the CO2 emissions will be reduced by about 90%. This is fully in line with Wärtsilä’s strategy for enabling decarbonized shipping operations, and is an endorsement of our capabilities to deliver future-proof systems capable of handling a new generation of marine fuels.”