Wärtsilä Launches World’s First Four Stroke Ammonia Engine Solution

With ammonia expected to become an increasingly popular low-carbon fuel for the shipping industry, Wärtsilä has taken the lead and launched the world’s first four-stroke ammonia engine solution. 

The ammonia solution is available as part of the Wärtsilä 25 engine platform, with the full solution also including an AmmoniaPac fuel gas supply system, the Wärtsilä Ammonia Release Mitigation System (WARMS), and the Wärtsilä NOx Reducer (NOR) for optimal exhaust after-treatment. 

Given the nature of ammonia, safety and efficiency are central to the design of the solution, with a sophisticated automation system ensuring safe operation. 

Viridis Bulk Carriers, dubbed as the world’s first zero emission shipping company, is expected to be the first shipowner to benefit from ​​Wärtsilä’s new ammonia solution. Earlier this month, Wärtsilä and Viridis Bulk Carriers signed a Letter of Intent for the Wärtsilä 25 ammonia solution, aiming to sign a commercial contract in early 2024.

Commenting on the new four stroke ammonia engine solution, Wärtsilä’s President and CEO, Håkan Agnevall, said: 

“Wärtsilä is a leader in shaping the decarbonisation of the marine and energy industries. This industry-leading solution is yet another flagship moment in Wärtsilä’s extensive programme to ensure future marine fuels are both viable and safe. Working in partnership with Viridis Bulk Carriers, we take the next step in our decarbonisation journey, enabling the transition to greener fuels and accelerating towards net-zero emissions shipping”.

Roger Holm, President of Wärtsilä’s Marine Power business, added: 

“The ammonia solution is based on Wärtsilä’s well-proven LNG system, from which we have gained invaluable experience. The Wärtsilä 25 engine has been designed for easy adoption of sustainable fuels and, now, in addition to its previous capability of operating on diesel, LNG, or on gas or liquid carbon-neutral biofuels, we are proud to add ammonia to its specifications. This makes Wärtsilä 25 a thoroughly future-proof engine platform that combines operational efficiency with environmental sustainability”.

As the shipping industry seeks to move away from traditional bunker fuels ammonia has emerged as a leading alt-fuel option. According to a statement issued by Wärtsilä, the Wärtsilä 25 system can ‘immediately reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 70 percent, compared to a similar sized diesel solution, meeting current EU targets until 2050 and even exceeding the IMO target for 2040’. 

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That’s exactly the kind of experience provided by Brookes Bell’s marine engineers.

Our marine engineers have experience dealing with a wide variety of machinery, including; propulsion engines, slow, medium and high-speed diesel engines, steam turbines and boilers and more. 

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