Mitsubishi Shipbuilding and CSSC work together to develop ammonia-fuelled ships 

Engine manufacturer WinGD, part of Chinese state-run shipbuilding group CSSC, and Japan’s Mitsubishi Shipbuilding have signed a memorandum of understanding to enter into a partnership on ammonia-fuelled vessels.

The project will see WinGD applying its X-DF-A ammonia-fuelled engines to a range of vessel designs, with Mitsubishi both designing the vessels and completing the fuel chain with its ammonia fuel supply system (AFSS).

Manabu Kawakado, head of marine engineering at Mitsubishi Shipbuilding, said: “This collaboration will give both Mitsubishi and WinGD an important first-mover advantage in using ammonia in marine engines to meet IMO decarbonisation targets. It will set the path for the new generation of technology applicable to a wide range of vessels over the next decades.”

Under the partnership, WinGD will develop X-DF-A engines at appropriate sizes for the vessel designs, providing Mitsubishi 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.

The project will commence in the third quarter of 2023, with a timeline considered that could place vessels in service by 2027.