The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has set a target for reaching net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from shipping by or around 2050. Separately the European Union has implemented two measures, the EU Emissions Trading System and FuelEU Maritime, that will increasingly financially penalise shipping companies for fossil fuel use. These regulations mean that ship operators will increasingly seek to use zero- or near-zero-emission fuels instead of conventional shipping fuels.

WinGD has introduced a range of clean-fuel engines capable of running on zero-carbon ammonia and methanol, both of which can be produced from renewable sources.  The X-DF-A and X-DF-M engines are based on WinGD’s robust engine platform: delivering innovative fuel capability through proven technology while ensuring that all existing engines in service can be converted for use with these fuels.

Find out more about our Methanol and Ammonia engines.

Reducing the amount of fuel needed to run engines has a direct impact on both global warming and air pollution, as well as minimising fuel and carbon costs for engine operators. WinGD continuously improves its engine technologies and designs smart solutions to reduce fuel consumption further.

For X-DF engines running on LNG, WinGD offers several options to improve fuel consumption and minimise greenhouse gas emissions. These include iCER – intelligent control by exhaust recycling – which controls combustion by regulating air flow into the engine, and Variable Compression Ratio (VCR) technology, which dynamically optimises combustion depending on the fuel used and engine load.

Learn more about iCER technology

Learn more about VCR technology

IMO regulations on energy efficiency – including the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) and the Energy Efficiency Index for Existing Ships (EEXI) – are imposing increasing demands on the efficient performance of vessels. Using electrical power derived from shaft generators, onshore power supply or alternative sources such as wind and solar energy, vessels can reduce reliance on fuel consumption improve their energy efficiency.

WinGD’s X-EL Energy Management puts the main engine at the heart of the vessel energy system, dynamically optimising power distribution from multiple sources based on real-time operating conditions. With in-depth expertise in both the engine and the electrical system onboard vessels, X-EL Energy Management can configure, integrate and manage your hybrid power system to enable new, efficient operating modes and overall efficiency improvements.

Whichever technologies are installed on a vessel, it is operating them efficiently that will make the real difference in fuel consumption and emissions – and on ship operators’ ability to reduce exposure to carbon costs.

WinGD integrated Digital Expert – or WiDE – uses a detailed digital twin of each individual engine to compare real-time, in-service performance with optimal running data. Among the many benefits of state-of-the-art digital monitoring, WiDE delivers pro-active troubleshooting support to crews, identifying potential issues that can disrupt operations or lead to lower efficiency before they occur.

IMO has placed strict limits on NOx emissions for ships operating globally (Tier I and Tier II) and in specially designated NOx Emission Control Areas or NECAs (Tier III) to reduce shipping’s impact on health and the environment.