WinGD has completed Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) for its ammonia-fuelled two-stroke marine engine in China, advancing the commercial deployment of ammonia propulsion technology.

The X52DF-A-1.0 engine, built by Yuchai Marine Power Co., Ltd. (YCMP), underwent testing in April in the presence of China Classification Society. The latest FAT follows the completion of both Type Approval Testing (TAT) and the first FAT of WinGD's ammonia-fuelled engine platform in South Korea earlier this year.

The engine will be installed on the first vessel for Tianjin Southwest Maritime in a series of four LPG/ammonia carriers currently under construction at CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. in China.

Peter Krähenbühl, VP Product Center at WinGD, remarked: "The successful completion of Factory Acceptance Testing in China provides further validation of our X-DF-A platform across key performance and safety parameters. The results demonstrate continued progress in the development and validation of ammonia-fuelled engine technology."

The testing programme, which took place on the 52-bore engine to be installed on a 25,000 cbm LPG/ammonia carrier, is said to have demonstrated stable engine performance and emissions results. NOx emissions during ammonia operation were lower than those from conventional fuels, while N₂O emissions remained minimal, according to WinGD.

Krähenbühl added: "Bringing ammonia propulsion into commercial service depends on close cooperation across the maritime value chain, particularly between engine designers and engine builders. Working closely with partners such as YCMP allows us to translate development progress into reliable manufacturing and testing outcomes, supporting the safe and efficient deployment of ammonia-fuelled propulsion technologies."

WinGD's orderbook includes over 30 X-DF-A engines across multiple vessel segments, including gas and bulk carriers, tankers and container vessels.

The X-DF-A engine platform features high-pressure ammonia injection supplemented by a pilot fuel dose of around five per cent at full load. It delivers load handling, dynamic response and fuel efficiency comparable to WinGD's diesel-fuelled X-Engines in both ammonia and diesel operating modes, according to the company.

WinGD, headquartered in Winterthur, Switzerland, designs two-stroke low-speed engines for marine applications. The company originated as the Sulzer Diesel Engine business in 1893.