WinGD notes
that the AFSS design is the first result of a partnership announced last year that will develop solutions for ammonia
engines and fuel systems that can be applied across a range of vessel designs.
The project will now proceed to the detailed design phase.
As well as
the fuel supply system – including a fuel valve unit, fuel conditioning and all
related piping – the concept includes
several features to enable the safe use of ammonia as a marine fuel. These
include an ammonia catching system as well as purging and venting arrangements.
Manabu
Kawakado, head of marine engineering center, Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd.
said: “Our partnership with WinGD has made rapid progress in less than a year
since we launched the cooperation. Concluding the initial AFSS design at this
stage puts us in a strong position to offer a complete fuel system to ship
operators as demand for carbon-free ammonia fuel grows over the coming years.”
Sebastian
Hensel, director R&D, WinGD said: “At present, our primary focus is on
advancing the technology of our clean-fuel solutions including our
ammonia-powered X-DF-A engines, with the first delivery expected in Q2 2025.
This collaboration will make sure that the auxiliary systems and integration
capability are in place to apply our engine designs, and developing the fuel
supply system concept is a crucial step in bringing ammonia fuel capability to
the marine market.”
Under the partnership, WinGD will develop X-DF-A
engines at appropriate sizes for a range of vessel designs, providing the
shipbuilder with the specifications for installing the engines and the
requirements for all auxiliary fuel systems. Mitsubishi will design the vessels, set
performance parameters for the engines and further develop its existing AFSS
for use with WinGD’s ammonia engines