WinGD opens new Global Test Center in Shanghai

Opening of new Global Test Center

With R&D coming into sharp focus as part of the strategy to help ships reach IMO’s 2050 decarbonization target, Swiss-based marine engine developer WinGD has opened a new Global Test Center in Shanghai, China. The center, which opened December 16, is a collaboration with CSPI (China Shipbuilding Power Engineering Institute Co., Ltd.)

Both WinGD and CSPI are subsidiaries of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC).

The new test center will carry out research and innovation on future fuel propulsion solutions, holistic energy management systems, and power generation based on new energy converters.

For its work on the development of new technologies and products, the Global Test Center uses two two-stroke test engines and several test rigs for the validation of sub-systems such as fuel injection, pumps or gas admission valves.

NEW FUELS

With future demands in mind, testing will focus on new fuels including methanol and ammonia, and on the further development of WinGD’s low pressure dual-fuel technology.

The test center will also be equipped with an electrical grid representing modern vessels, including a DC grid laboratory and dynamometers instead of water brakes, an infrastructure well suited to testing and demonstrating hybrid propulsion systems in the future.

“The pace at which we need to act as an industry to reach a carbon free future requires all players to step up with significant commitment,” said WinGD Vice President Research & Development Dominik Schneiter. “The pace at which we need to act as an industry to reach a carbon free future requires all players to step up with significant commitment. By considerably expanding our test engine infrastructure, we are confirming our commitment to accelerate the energy transition in shipping. The future is a multi-fuel landscape where deep knowledge of the combustion properties of all fuels is required. Our collaboration with our CSSC family of companies allows us to bring the full weight of our shared expertise towards this goal.”