MAN Runs Ammonia Engine at Full Load, Moving Closer to Introduction
The efforts to introduce the first commercial ammonia-fueled engines took another step closer to completion as MAN Energy Solutions has for the first time run a two-stroke engine at 100 percent engine load. The company highlights it has passed another milestone on the path to entering the commercial market, and it is slightly ahead of competitors such as WinGD which just completed single-cylinder tests.
“We began full-scale testing in November 2024 and have since proceeded in a cautious and safety-first way,” reports Ole Pyndt Hansen, Head of Two-Stroke Research & Development for MAN Energy Solutions. “We have now operated the engine on ammonia from 25 to 100 percent load, marking yet another important step forward in the maritime energy transition.”
MAN reported in 2023 that it achieved the first combustion with ammonia on the two-stroke test engine, and by November 2024 had completed more than 12 months of testing on a single cylinder running on ammonia. The company previously said the technology development was aiming for a small percentage of just 5 percent pilot oil at 100 percent load based on L1 rating. A small pilot flame is needed to start ammonia combustion. Initial tests were conducted with 10-15 percent pilot as a first step as they worked to transition to the 5 percent target. The remaining 95 percent of the energy MAN reports will be provided by ammonia supplying high power, energy density, efficiency, and extremely low emissions.
“We have now validated the ammonia fuel-injection system over the full load curve with diesel-pilot amounts recorded according to our targets. Furthermore, the positive emission and performance characteristics from previous, single-cylinder tests have now also been validated in full-scale engine operation,” reports Ole Pyndt Hansen.
The testing of the ME-LGIA (-Liquid Gas Injection Ammonia) engine, is currently underway at the company’s Research Centre Copenhagen facility. As part of the program, it also highlights that its proprietary SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) was operational at all test loads to treat exhaust gases and that all supply and safety systems worked as intended.
The next phase of testing MAN reports will focus on performance and emission optimization, including injection and SCR systems as well as control strategies.
“The ME-LGIA concept is based on the Diesel-cycle combustion principle, which makes it eminently suitable for PTO (Power Take-Off),” said Christian Ludwig, Head of Global Sales & Promotion, Two-Stroke Business for MAN Energy Solutions. “Prior to this round of testing, we simulated PTO on the ammonia engine with very positive results and are very happy to see this replicated in real life. We intend to support PTO on the ME-LGIA to the same degree as with the other Diesel-cycle engines in our low-speed portfolio.”
The industry is awaiting the anticipated launch of the first ammonia-fueled engines later this year. While alternative fuel systems currently make up 17 percent of shipbuilding orders according to DNV’s Alternative Fuel Insight database, ammonia is just 0.5 percent of current orders tied with hydrogen and far behind LNG and methanol. However, DNV’s data shows there are 31 vessels already on order for ammonia propulsion with three expected for delivery in 2025. Bulkers and gas tankers make up the majority of the orders with the vessels scheduled for delivery between 2026 and 2028.
WinGD recently reported that it was also achieving results with a single-cylinder ammonia-fueled engine “in line with expectations,” as it moves forward with its validation efforts. The company said that in the coming months, it expects to conduct multi-cylinder engine tests to validate the full-scale engine, turbocharger configuration, and control systems so that the engine can begin production. WinGD said it was targeting June 2025 for the first delivery of its ammonia-fueled engines.