The first Everllence B&W ME-LGIA ammonia engine makes the leap to real-world application
Shipping has spent years searching for viable low-carbon fuels. Now, in South Korea, one of industry’s most closely watched technologies has reached a new milestone. The first Everllence B&W ME-LGIA dual-fuel ammonia engine has been installed aboard a commercial vessel, moving ammonia propulsion from testing environments to commercial deployment at sea.
Workers clad in red and blue coveralls are piecing together dozens of gigantic cargo ships bound for customers all over the world. Engineers, welders, forklifts, trucks, and cranes move massive components through HD Hyundai Heavy Industries’ (HHI) vast shipyard here in Ulsan, on the southeastern coast of South Korea. For an outsider visiting the complex, the scale is hard to grasp.
But even here, the recent transport of the first Everllence dual-fuel ammonia engine from test bed to ship hull stood out—and not simply for its size. For the maritime industry, the move represents a crucial step toward operating large commercial vessels on ammonia fuel.
Shipping’s fuel dilemma
Shipping has struggled to wean itself off heavy fuel oil (HFO), the fossil fuel that has powered much of the global fleet for more than a century. International shipping produces roughly 3 percent of global CO2 emissions — more than one billion metric tons each year — and left unchecked, its share stands to grow as global trade expands.
Methanol and liquefied natural gas (LNG) have already gained traction as low-carbon fuels in shipping, particularly in dual-fuel engines. But ammonia is increasingly attracting attention because it contains no carbon and, when produced using renewable energy, offers a potential pathway to near-zero-emission shipping.
