Safety first

The certification framework for using ammonia as a fuel is starting to come together. Among recent developments classification society Bureau Veritas has granted approval in principle (AiP) to Swiss marine power company WinGD’s X-DF-A dual-fuel engine’s safety concept.

The safety concept describes how risks associated with using ammonia as a fuel are controlled under reasonably foreseeable abnormal conditions, as well as possible failure scenarios and their control measures.

It is therefore a key element for demonstrating a safe engine room concept and the capability for safe vessel operation using ammonia as fuel.

WinGD Director Sales Volkmar Galke commented: “Our steady and systematic approach to the new fuel technology coupled with collaborative efforts with esteemed partners like Bureau Veritas, reaffirms our commitment to safety, reliability, efficiency, and sustainability. This latest AiP underscores WinGD’s leadership in introducing carbon-free ammonia power to the deep-sea fleet. Teaming up with expert partners, such as BV, ensures that these cutting-edge technologies will be available well ahead of emission targets, providing operators with essential planning space and valuable hands-on experience.”

Bureau Veritas’s Senior Vice President, Marine & Offshore North Asia & China, Alex Gregg-Smith, emphasised the crucial need for trust in new technologies within the maritime industry’s ongoing evaluation of diverse transition pathways. He said, “This AiP instils confidence in early adopters that, subject to careful considerations in design, build, integration, and operation, the ammonia two-stroke engine can effectively address the rising demand for sustainable solutions. BV is proud to have collaborated with WinGD on this groundbreaking development.”

The AiP follows confirmed orders for X-DF-A in two bore sizes. The first engine to be developed, the

52-bore X52DF‑A, will be available for delivery from Q1 2025 and is applicable to a range of vessels including gas and bulk carriers.

WinGD noted: “As the industry moves at an accelerated pace towards a carbon-free future, the safety concept AiP is among the necessary steps giving shipowners the assurances they need to move ahead with ammonia-fuelled vessel designs. X-DF-A engines will operate on the Diesel principle in both diesel and ammonia modes, maintaining the same rating field as WinGD’s existing X-engines.

Meanwhile the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) has recently adopted a  New Unified Requirement (URH1) on Control of Ammonia Releases on Ammonia Fuelled Vessels.

An IACS statement explained: “In recent years, ammonia has emerged as one of a number of promising carbon-free fuels due to its high energy density and its ability to be liquefied at ambient temperatures. While ammonia therefore has a significant potential as a marine fuel it also presents safety challenges as it is highly toxic to human and aquatic life and it is therefore imperative to address the permissible limits to human exposure in ensuring the safety of onboard personnel.  In light of this and with the aim of guiding the industry in its development of early projects using ammonia as fuel, IACS has developed a Unified Requirement (URH1) covering the release of ammonia from the onboard systems for bunkering, storing, preparing and using ammonia as fuel.”