Posted on September 22, 2021
The technology group Wärtsilä and the Korean shipbuilding company Samsung Heavy Industries have signed a joint development programme agreement aimed at developing ammonia-fuelled vessels with 4-stroke auxiliary engines available for future newbuild projects, according to the company’s release.
Both parties recognise the importance of future carbon-free fuels in the marine industry’s drive towards decarbonisation. The agreement was signed in July 2021. Wärtsilä has a leading role in developing engines for operation on future clean fuels, and has already successfully tested an engine running with a fuel mix containing 70 percent ammonia. The company anticipates having an engine concept capable of operating with 100 percent ammonia in 2023.
According to SHI, the most likely initial newbuild targets for ships utilising ammonia fuel will be container vessels and very large crude carriers, operating with 2-stroke main engines and 4-stroke Wärtsilä auxiliary engines.
About Wärtsilä:
Wärtsilä is a global leader in smart technologies and complete lifecycle solutions for the marine and energy markets. By emphasising sustainable innovation, total efficiency and data analytics, Wärtsilä maximises the environmental and economic performance of the vessels and power plants of its customers. In 2020, Wärtsiläs net sales totalled EUR 4.6 billion with approximately 18,000 employees. The company has operations in over 200 locations in more than 70 countries around the world. Wärtsilä is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki.
