EXMAR’s Ammonia-Fuelled Gas Carrier Completes First Commercial Voyage

EXMAR has completed the first commercial voyage of its newly delivered LPG/ammonia carrier Antwerpen, marking another milestone in the deployment of ammonia as a marine fuel.

The vessel sailed from China to India carrying a full cargo of liquid ammonia while using ammonia as its primary propulsion fuel, demonstrating the commercial viability of ammonia-powered deep-sea shipping.

World’s First Ocean-Going Ammonia-Fuelled Gas Carriers

According to EXMAR, Antwerpen and its sister ship Arlon are the world’s first ocean-going gas carriers capable of both transporting ammonia as cargo and using it as fuel for propulsion.

Following delivery, Antwerpen departed Nanjing, China, late last month and completed its maiden commercial voyage to India carrying 30,214 tonnes of liquid ammonia.

The voyage represents a significant step in validating ammonia as both a cargo and a zero-carbon marine fuel for international shipping.

Designed to Transport LPG and Ammonia

The vessel features three cargo tanks developed by EXMAR that can transport either liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) or liquefied ammonia, providing operational flexibility across multiple gas trades.

In addition, the ship is equipped with two 500-cubic-metre deck tanks to support cargo operations.

Ammonia-Fuelled Dual-Fuel Engine

Propulsion is provided by a WinGD X52DF-A two-stroke dual-fuel engine, capable of operating on:

• Ammonia
• Conventional marine diesel

The engine can receive ammonia fuel directly from the vessel’s cargo tanks, eliminating the need for separate fuel storage while simplifying fuel handling and improving operational flexibility.

According to EXMAR, operating on ammonia can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 90% during navigation, depending on the fuel mix and operating profile.

Additional Energy-Efficiency Technologies

To further improve environmental performance, Antwerpen is equipped with:

• A shaft generator for onboard electricity generation
• A Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system to reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions

The vessel was constructed by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries in South Korea.

Advancing Ammonia as a Marine Fuel

The successful completion of Antwerpen’s maiden commercial voyage highlights growing industry confidence in ammonia-powered shipping as the sector works towards meeting global decarbonisation targets. By combining ammonia cargo transport with ammonia-fuelled propulsion, the vessel demonstrates how gas carriers can leverage onboard cargo as a fuel source while significantly lowering greenhouse gas emissions.