Swiss marine engine manufacturer WinGD has completed factory acceptance testing (FAT) of its X72DF-A dual-fuel ammonia engine at CSSC Engine Co. (CSE) in China, marking a further step in the company's efforts to bring ammonia propulsion to commercial shipping.

The FAT was witnessed by Lloyd's Register (LR), along with representatives from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and China Classification Society (CCS). According to WinGD, the certification joins previously received fit-for-purpose inspection test (FIT) and type approval test (TAT) approvals for the XDF-A platform.

Built at CSE, the 72-bore engine will be installed on the first of ten 210,000-dwt dry bulk carriers on order for Belgian shipping company CMB.Tech. The fuel supply system for the engine was manufactured by Sunrui Marine Environmental Engineering Co.

WinGD claims the X-DF-A engine achieves over 90% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in ammonia mode compared to diesel mode. The engine uses high-pressure ammonia injection supplemented by a pilot fuel dose of around 5% at full load, and is said to deliver load handling, dynamic response and fuel efficiency comparable to WinGD's equivalent diesel-fuelled X engines in both ammonia and diesel operating modes.

WinGD CEO Dominik Schneiter commented: "We're proud to work closely with pioneering shipowners like CMB.TECH to build confidence in ammonia as a safe and efficient marine fuel for a zero-carbon future. The successful tests on our technology are the result of strong partnerships, where combined expertise enabled us to address the distinct challenges associated with bringing ammonia-fuelled technology to market."

CMB.Tech CEO Alexander Saverys remarked: "We started our journey on the development of the X72DF-A with WinGD four years ago. Thanks to an excellent collaboration, we are able to deliver the first dual-fuel ammonia engines to our large bulk carriers. This is a very important step in the decarbonisation journey of shipping."

CSE chief engineer Zhang Guangwei stated: "Bringing a new engine design into commercial operation is always the result of strong joint effort between engine and vessel designer, engine builder, shipyard and owner. CSE is honoured to be the first engine builder in China to deliver ammonia-fuelled engines to the maritime market, and to take an early role in what will become a significant market as ammonia fuel is used more widely in shipping."

WinGD notes that it has secured an orderbook of 40 X-DF-A engines across a range of vessel types, which the firm says reflects growing market readiness for ammonia propulsion as shipowners respond to evolving regulatory and commercial pressures on the path to net-zero emissions.