The Belgian gas shipping company Exmar has announced the historic delivery of its first seagoing vessel, partially powered by an ammonia engine. “A historic milestone for shipping,” the company stated in a press release on Wednesday.

The newly built gas carrier has been named ‘MGC Antwerpen’ and is equipped with a dual-fuel motor: this means it can run on diesel and ammonia.

When using the low-carbon ammonia fuel, the ship sails virtually emission-free. This amounts to a reduction in greenhouse gases of up to 90 percent compared to conventional ships.

The vessel is developed in close collaboration with HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, WinGD, Nord Gas Solutions (formerly Wärtsilä Gas Solutions), and Lloyd’s Register and can carry up to 46,000 m³ of ammonia or LPG, and trading with close to zero emissions when using low-carbon ammonia fuel.

The MGC Antwerpen is the first in a series of four similar midsize gas carriers, each named after a Belgian city. With the delivery of Antwerpen, Exmar continues its tradition of innovation and its leadership in the maritime transport and handling of ammonia.

Complex safety infrastructure

Sailing on ammonia, however, is not straightforward. Ammonia is highly toxic and explosive. It therefore requires an extremely complex safety infrastructure. There are also concerns about nitrogen oxide emissions.

Nevertheless, Exmar describes it as “a very important step toward low-carbon shipping” and “a decisive step forward in the decarbonization of shipping.” It places Exmar and its partners at the forefront of sustainable maritime innovation.

EXMAR Group specializes in floating maritime solutions for the transport, transformation, and storage of gas and liquid hydrocarbons.

The company operates a modern fleet ranging from VLGCs to pressurized vessels and owns and operates advanced floating LNG production, storage, and regasification units.