Wärtsilä in ammonia-fueled four-stroke first

Image © Wärtsilä Corporation

Wärtsilä has brought to market the marine sector’s first four-stroke engine based solution for ammonia fuel. It is now commercially available as part of the Wärtsilä 25 engine platform, which was launched in September 2022. The first shipowner set to benefit from the ammonia-fueled four-stroke solution is Norway’s Viridis Bulk Carriers, the zero emission shipping partnership between Amon Maritime, Mosvolds Rederi and Navigare Logistics. Earlier this month, Wärtsilä and Viridis Bulk Carriers signed a Letter of Intent for the Wärtsilä 25 ammonia engine solution, targeting to sign a commercial contract in early 2024.

In addition to the ammonia-fueled four-stroke engine, the full solution includes an AmmoniaPac fuel gas supply system, the Wärtsilä Ammonia Release Mitigation System (WARMS), and the Wärtsilä NOx Reducer (NOR) for optimal exhaust after-treatment.

Safety and efficiency are maximized by a sophisticated automation system and a maintenance agreement to ensure safe and efficient onboard operations. The safe and smooth adoption of ammonia is further supported by dedicated crew training and 24/7 global support.

“The ammonia solution is based on Wärtsilä’s well-proven LNG system, from which we have gained invaluable experience,” said Roger Holm, president of Wärtsilä’s Marine Power business. “The Wärtsilä 25 engine has been designed for easy adoption of sustainable fuels and, now, in addition to its previous capability of operating on diesel, LNG, or on gas or liquid carbon-neutral biofuels, we are proud to add ammonia to its specifications. This makes the Wärtsilä 25 a thoroughly future-proof engine platform, that combines operational efficiency with environmental sustainability.”

“The maritime industry must significantly reduce its emissions if we are to succeed in reaching the goals set in the Paris agreement. The adoption of new technologies and ammonia as a carbon free fuel is central to this,” said André Risholm, a board member at Viridis Bulk Carriers. “We are delighted to partner with Wärtsilä on another important milestone for our ammonia-powered short sea bulk vessels.”

“This industry-leading solution is yet another flagship moment in Wärtsilä’s extensive programme to ensure future marine fuels are both viable and safe,” said Håkan Agnevall, president and CEO of Wärtsilä. “Working in partnership with Viridis Bulk Carriers, we take the next step in our decarbonization journey, enabling the transition to greener fuels and accelerating towards net-zero emissions shipping.”

Sustainable ammonia is one of the leading candidates in shipping’s search for alternative clean fuels. According to Wärtsilä its new solution can immediately reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 70%, compared to a similar sized diesel solution, meeting current EU targets until 2050 and even exceeding the IMO target for 2040.

“This is only the beginning,” said Stefan Nysjö, vice president of power supply, Wärtsilä Marine Power. “The Wärtsilä 25 is the first Wärtsilä engine to run on ammonia as a fuel, and this is an important milestone, but we do not stop here. While we are planning for additional ammonia engines in our portfolio over time, we are also committed to continue development and testing of technologies and solutions that can continue to support the industry with reducing greenhouse gas emissions even further in the future.”

• There will be more information about this new solution during a virtual event on Tuesday, December 5. Sign up HERE.