Wärtsilä NH3 FSS order for EXMAR gas carriers

The ships are on order at the Hyundai Mipo Dockyards (HMD) in Korea for ship owner EXMAR LPG, a joint venture between Exmar, a multi-disciplinary maritime and offshore solutions provider, and Seapeak, one of the largest independent owner-operators of liquefied natural gas vessels.

Wärtsilä had previously been awarded the contract to supply the cargo handling and fuel supply systems to a series of four gas carriers powered by engines capable of operating on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) as fuel. Following a decision by EXMAR in October to convert the fuel systems to ammonia-fuelled propulsion, the contract for the supply of the dual-fuel low-speed two-stroke engines capable of operating on ammonia as a fuel to HMD was awarded to Winterthur-based technology supplier WinGD.

The revised order for Wärtsilä’s first ammonia fuel supply system was booked in Q1 2024.

“There is of course a challenge to be considered when making a first-ever operational decision such as this, requiring the latest technology. Wärtsilä has the experience and technical competence to minimise this risk, which is why they were selected as a key partner in this groundbreaking project,” said Carl-Antoine Saverys Chief Executive Officer, EXMAR.

The full scope of Wärtsilä’s supply includes the Liquid Ammonia Fuel Supply System along with process engineering and dynamic simulation. The system is skid mounted with low- and high-pressure fuel pumps, controls for fuel pressure and temperature, and heat exchangers. Delivery to the yard is scheduled for 2025.

“We have had long and close cooperation with both HMD and EXMAR, and are proud to be part of this exciting project. When operating with ammonia fuel the CO₂ emissions will be reduced with about 90%. This is fully in line with Wärtsilä’s strategy for enabling decarbonised shipping operations, and is an endorsement of our capabilities to deliver future-proof systems capable of handling a new generation of marine fuels,” commented Stein Thoresen, Head of Sales Marine, Wärtsilä Gas Solutions.