Belgian gas shipping group EXMAR has taken delivery of ANTWERPEN, a 46,000m³ midsize gas carrier equipped with WinGD’s X52DF-A ammonia-fuelled engine. The vessel is the first ocean-going ship designed to operate on ammonia fuel and the first in a series of four ammonia dual-fuel gas carriers ordered by EXMAR and built by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries.
The vessel can transport both LPG and ammonia as cargo and can use ammonia as fuel. Delivery follows sea trials completed in South Korea and concludes a development programme involving EXMAR, WinGD, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, HD Hyundai Engine Machinery Division, Nord Gas Solutions and Lloyd’s Register.
Development of the project dates to 2021, when EXMAR received Approval in Principle from Lloyd’s Register for an ammonia-fuelled midsize gas carrier. The company subsequently launched a joint development project with industry partners in 2022 to advance the vessel design and propulsion system.
Sebastian Hensel, Vice President R&D at WinGD, said: ‘We are proud to be part of delivering the world’s first ammonia-fuelled ocean-going vessel, a landmark achievement made possible through an intensive and highly collaborative development effort. By bringing together expertise from across the maritime value chain, we have demonstrated that ammonia propulsion can move from concept to commercial reality through safe, reliable and fully automated engine technology.’
At the centre of the vessel’s propulsion system is WinGD’s X52DF-A two-stroke engine, which uses high-pressure ammonia injection supplemented by a pilot fuel dose of around 5 per cent at full load. Type Approval Testing and Factory Acceptance Testing were completed in January 2026 at HD Hyundai Engine & Machinery Division’s facility in South Korea. WinGD said subsequent sea trials demonstrated load handling, dynamic response and fuel efficiency comparable to equivalent diesel-fuelled engines in both ammonia and diesel operating modes.
ANTWERPEN is equipped with real-time gas detection systems and an ammonia purge recovery unit, among other safety measures designed to manage leakage risks and support onboard operations.
The vessel’s entry into service will provide operational data on the performance of ammonia propulsion in deep-sea commercial shipping. These data will inform shipowners considering ammonia-fuelled newbuilds and regulators developing future requirements for ammonia as a marine fuel.
WinGD said it has secured 40 orders for its X-DF-A engine across vessel segments including gas carriers, bulk carriers, tankers and container ships. ANTWERPEN is the first of those vessels to enter service, with three additional ammonia dual-fuel gas carriers for EXMAR scheduled for delivery through 2027.
