Engine designer MAN Energy Solutions has run its ammonia test engine at 100% load for the first time.
Testing started on the company’s ME-LGIA (liquid gas injection ammonia) engine at MAN’s Research Centre Copenhagen in July 2023, building up to run the unit on a single cylinder.
MAN’s head of two-stroke research and development, Ole Pyndt Hansen, said on Thursday: “We began full-scale testing in November 2024 and have since proceeded in a cautious and safety-first way.”
He added: “We have now operated the engine on ammonia from 25% to 100% load, marking yet another important step forward in the maritime energy transition.”
The two-stroke R&D chief said the company has now validated the ammonia fuel injection system across the full load curve, with diesel pilot amounts recorded in line with its targets.
Hansen added: “The positive emission and performance characteristics from previous, single-cylinder tests have now also been validated in full-scale engine operation.”
He said in December that testing is expected to continue through into mid-2025.
MAN’s head of global sales and promotion for its two-stroke business, Christian Ludwig, said the engine’s diesel-cycle combustion principle makes the unit suitable for power take-off.
This allows for other equipment, such as pumps and alternators, to be driven by the main engine, eliminating the need for auxiliary units.
Ludwig said: “Prior to this round of testing, we simulated PTO [power take-off] 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.”
MAN told TradeWinds in September that it will deliver about 30 ammonia dual-fuel engines in the next three years.
Japanese licensee Mitsui & Co is building a first ammonia dual-fuel engine for MAN ES that is due to be installed on a 200,000-dwt bulk carrier being built at Imabari Shipbuilding.(Copyright)
