Alfa Laval has secured its first contract for the FCM Ammonia fuel supply system, which will be installed on seven LPG/ammonia carriers for Tianjin Southwest Maritime (TSM).

The FCM Ammonia will be deployed at CSSC Huangpu Wenchong shipyard in China for TSM.

The installation will begin with three vessels of 25,000m³ each, followed by four vessels of 41,000m³ each.

The first FCM Ammonia unit is set to be delivered by the end of 2025.

The contract follows research and development conducted in partnership with Swiss engine designer WinGD for testing FCM Ammonia for commercial use.

WinGD research and development vice president Sebastian Hensel said: “Collaborating with trusted partners such as Alfa Laval has been instrumental in bringing these new clean-fuel technologies to market, making ammonia-powered shipping a reality.

“This partnership, along with our joint R&D efforts, underscores our shared commitment to the clean energy transition to enable a sustainable future for shipping.”

In December 2024, testing of the complete fuel supply system, fuel valve train, and vent treatment system began at WinGD’s Engine & Research Innovation Centre (ERIC) in Winterthur, Switzerland.

The tests, using test benches from Alfa Laval Monza, will initially validate essential components of the vent treatment system, known as the ammonia release mitigation system, and subsequently assess control logic and performance across different engine loads.

Alfa Laval marine separation, fuel supply system and heat transfer head Peter Sahlen said: “Through research, product development, and strategic partnerships, we are building the solutions needed for a safe and efficient transition to low-carbon alternative fuels.”

Alfa Laval is also collaborating with South Korea's K Shipbuilding (KSB), WinGD, and the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) for the design of an ammonia dual-fuel MR1 tanker.

K Shipbuilding obtained approval in principle (AiP) from ABS in December 2024 for the tanker.

Alfa Laval is responsible for designing the complete fuel system, which includes the ammonia fuel supply system, fuel valve train, and vent treatment system.

Additionally, Alfa Laval is incorporating an Aalborg ammonia dual-fuel boiler system into the project.

In 2023, Alfa Laval launched biofuel-optimised separators, which are compatible with hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) and fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) blends with residual or distillate fuel.