The world’s first full-scale business ammonia-fuel engine has been accomplished by Japan Engine Company (J-ENG), marking a milestone in efforts to decarbonise international delivery.
A big (50cm) bore, seven-cylinder engine supposed for medium gasoline carriers, a mid-sized class of business gas-transport vessels, it’s outfitted with high-pressure selective catalytic discount (SCR).
The engine handed its official check programme between 27 and 30 August at J-ENG’s manufacturing unit in Japan. Testing was carried out beneath the supervision of teams concerned in marine engineering and shipbuilding, particularly Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK Line), Nihon Shipyard (NSY), and Japan Marine United Company (JMU), along with ClassNK, a requirements group within the space of marine security and environmental compliance.
The trials included verification in each ammonia and heavy gasoline oil dual-fuel operation modes, adopted by post-operation inspections. ClassNK has licensed the engine’s security and environmental efficiency.
It’s scheduled to ship in October 2025 for set up on an ammonia-fuelled medium gasoline service beneath development at JMU’s Ariake Shipyard, with the vessel anticipated to enter service in 2026.
One matter that has occupied the builders of ammonia engines up to now is air high quality and the necessity to minimise the emissions of nitrogen oxides, for instance.
At full load with 95% ammonia co-firing, trial runs on the J-ENG engine seemingly measured nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions at roughly 3 ppm — a really low stage in contrast with typical fossil-fuel engines. General greenhouse gasoline emissions had been diminished by greater than 90% in contrast with standard heavy gasoline oil. Nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions had been roughly half these of conventional heavy oil engines, whereas unburned ammonia was successfully eradicated utilizing the post-combustion SCR system. The engine’s thermal effectivity in ammonia mode was confirmed as being equal to, or exceeding, that in heavy oil operation.
Seemingly complementary analysis on the event of ammonia-compatible SCR methods is underway on the College of Sheffield (and explored right here).
Improvement of this engine drew on greater than 1,000 hours of single-cylinder testing carried out between 2023 and 2024 at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ R&D Centre in Nagasaki, stated J-ENG. The complete-scale unit has since undergone round 700 hours of testing, specializing in efficiency optimisation, leak prevention, and security methods for dealing with poisonous ammonia.
Alongside the 50 cm bore mannequin, J-ENG can be creating a 60 cm bore ammonia-fuelled engine to serve a broader vary of ship sorts anticipated to enter the market.
The corporate is planning a brand new manufacturing unit, supported by the Japanese governemnt, which is predicted to open in 2028, to extend manufacturing of ammonia-fuel engines alongside heavy oil engines to speed up deployment of zero-emission ships.
