Swiss marine power company WinGD has secured orders for its first ethanol-fuelled engines, which will power two ore carriers to be built for Chinese owner Shandong Shipping Corporation and operate under long-term charters for Brazilian mining company Vale.

The two Newcastlemax vessels, each with 325,000 deadweight tonnage capacity, will be constructed by Beihai Shipbuilding in China. Each ship will be powered by a six-cylinder, 820mm-bore 6X82DF-M/E engine designed to run primarily on ethanol fuel.

The engines will be the first of WinGD's X-DF-M/E platform optimised for ethanol use. According to the company, the fuel supply and injection pressure will be modified from its methanol-fuelled engine concept to account for differences in energy density between the two fuels, which otherwise share similar properties and combustion characteristics. The contract includes options for additional engine deliveries should the vessel series be extended.

Volkmar Galke, executive director of sales at WinGD, commented: "These first ethanol-fuelled X-DF-M/E engines build on more than a decade of intensive investigation into alcohol fuels including ethanol and methanol. Securing orders for a top-tier charterer and ship operator is the best possible validation of those efforts. This is a clear signal that the shipboard technology and fuel infrastructure around ethanol as a marine fuel are ready, giving confidence to others considering ethanol as an option for maritime decarbonisation."

Ethanol is gaining attention as a marine fuel due to its availability in several markets, including Brazil, from where the vessels will transport iron ore to China. According to Vale's own investigations, ethanol use can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by around 90% compared with heavy fuel oil, depending on fuel type and lifecycle assumptions.

Rodrigo Bermelho, director of shipping at Vale, said: "The adoption of ethanol as an alternative fuel is part of Vale's strategy to combine flexibility and efficiency in the ships that transport our ore and places the company in a unique position for the energy transition in global shipping over the coming decades, while driving similar initiatives in the sector. We are pleased to partner with Shandong and WinGD on the world's first newbuilding order for ethanol-fuelled ocean-going vessels."

With the addition of ethanol-fuel capability, WinGD now offers several fuel options across its diesel-cycle two-stroke engines. The X-DF-M/E platform, alongside the ammonia-fuelled X-DF-A and high-pressure LNG-fuelled X-DF-HP platforms, are all based on the same engine architecture and injection concept.

The engine deliveries are scheduled for early 2029, depending on shipyard requirements.