EMEA News
Exmar Launches Its First Ammonia-Fuelled Vessel
Belgium-based shipping firm Exmar has announced the launch of its first dual-fuel ammonia gas carrier.
The 46,000 m3 vessel was floated out by South Korean shipbuilder HD Hyundai, Exmar France said in a LinkedIn post on Monday.
It is the first of six ammonia-fuelled ships to be operated by the firm's French entity, Exmar France.
Delivery is scheduled for next year, while construction of the second vessel is already underway, with steel cutting having begun in May at Hyundai Mipo Dockyard in South Korea.
The vessels will be equipped with dual-fuel two-stroke engines from engine maker WinGD.
Earlier this month, WinGD confirmed it had completed the installation of the first unit on this ship.
The engine uses a pilot fuel of about 5% at full load to ignite the ammonia. Because of ammonia's high ignition temperature and low flammability, a small amount of conventional fuel, such as diesel, is needed to initiate combustion.
