EXMAR's ANTWERPEN completes its inaugural voyage using ammonia fuel, transporting 30,214 tons from China to India, marking a significant milestone.
ANTWERPEN completes its first commercial voyage using ammonia fuel.
EXMAR's next-generation gas carrier ANTWERPEN has successfully completed its first commercial voyage from China to India, operating its main engine in ammonia dual-fuel mode. The vessel carried 30,214 tons of liquid ammonia on this voyage.
The Belgian company EXMAR's new gas carrier named MGC ANTWERPEN has completed its first commercial voyage since its delivery. While sailing from China to India, the ship utilized ammonia as fuel in its main engine and transported 30,214 tons of liquid ammonia to India.
With a carrying capacity of 46,000 cubic meters, ANTWERPEN can transport ammonia or LPG. EXMAR describes the vessel as the first ocean-going commercial ship that can both carry ammonia and use ammonia as its primary propulsion fuel. The ship was delivered on June 10, 2026.
The main engine of ANTWERPEN is a dual-fuel ammonia engine developed by WinGD. The system allows for a switch to conventional marine fuel when necessary. The company announced that the ammonia operating mode performed in accordance with design expectations during the first commercial voyage.
However, not all machinery on the ship operates on ammonia. According to EXMAR's technical statement, only the main engine uses ammonia in the first series; auxiliary machinery continues to operate on suitable conventional fuel. When using the shaft generator connected to the main engine at sea, it becomes possible to shut down the auxiliary machinery.
EXMAR states that if ammonia produced through low-carbon methods is used, the ship's greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced by up to 90% compared to diesel operating mode. This is a target and performance assessment announced by the company. The result will depend on how the ammonia is produced, the amount of pilot fuel used, and emissions of nitrogen oxides and dinitrogen monoxide.
Therefore, it is not accurate to refer to ANTWERPEN as a 'zero-emission vessel.' Although the ammonia molecule does not contain carbon, the pilot fuel, auxiliary machinery, and the entire production chain of ammonia continue to contribute to the overall climate accounting. Additionally, the toxicity of ammonia makes leak detection in the fuel system, ventilation, crew training, and emergency response critical elements of the project.
Despite all these concerns, the first commercial voyage is seen as a significant milestone indicating that ammonia fuel has transitioned from laboratory and test engine stages to a real cargo-carrying commercial vessel.
Source: SeaNews Türkiye
