HD Hyundai unveils world’s 1st high-pressure ammonia dual-fuel engine

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. said on Thursday it has developed the world's first ammonia dual-fuel engine with a high-pressure direct injection system in its push into the eco-friendly ship engine market.

The engine, dubbed HiMSEN ammonia dual-fuel engine, consumes less fuel than existing diesel engines and emits about 90% fewer greenhouse gases.

Last week, it passed the approval tests under the standards for equipment installed on vessels required by ship classification associations from seven countries: the US, Norway, the UK, France, Italy, Japan and South Korea.

It is the last-stage certification process before ship equipment's commercialization.

HD Hyundai, the world’s largest shipbuilder, embarked on the dual-engine development in 2022. It can be used for very large ammonia carriers and general container ships as a power generation and propulsion engine.

The company will install the high-pressure ammonia dual-fuel engine on vessels as per customers’ request.

HD Hyundai Heavy will supply the new engines to onshore power generation companies as well.

The engine features high-pressure direct injection systems that compress air into the combustion chamber and is then injected into ammonia fuel at high pressure like an aircraft fuel injection system.

So far, ships have been fit with the standard low-pressure injection system that blends ammonia with air before combustion.

Write to Hyeon-Woo Oh at ohw@hankyung.com
 


Yeonhee Kim edited this article.