Qingdao-based maritime technology firm Headway Technology Group (Headway) and Yuchai Marine Power Co., Ltd (YCMP) on Thursday (21 November) signed an agreement to collaborate on Headway's OceanGuard® Ammonia Fuel Supply System project in Zhuhai City, China. 

The Ammonia Fuel Supply System will be used on YCMP's ammonia-fuelled low-speed engine test platform and will be delivered as a turnkey solution. YCMP develops, designs, produces, and sells low-speed high power marine diesel engines for bulk carriers, container vessels, tankers, and engineering ships. 

YCMP holds production licences for WIN GD and MAN ES two-stroke engines and is based in Zhuhai, Guangdong.  

Headway's Vice President Cao Xuelei and YCMP's Chief Engineer Feng Deliang signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organisations. YCMP's General Manager Deng Hui, Headway's New Energy Project Manager Zhao Rui, and other key departmental representatives from both sides attended the ceremony. 

Headway will provide a comprehensive system including ammonia storage tanks, supply modules, unloading compressors, pumps, escaped ammonia catching systems, gas detectors, and double-walled pipelines. 

“Supporting both WinGD and MAN engines, this project highlights Headway’s advanced modular design and EPC capabilities. Headway will handle the entire lifecycle of the project, from engineering design, infrastructure construction, equipment manufacturing, installation and commissioning, to deliver a turnkey service,” the firm said. 

The OceanGuard® Ammonia Fuel Supply System is Headway's latest independently developed alternative fuel system, following LNG, LPG, and methanol supply systems. It features modular design, dual redundancy, and customised configurations based on vessel types. 

The system is efficient, reliable, and safe, and supports one-touch operation and fault self-diagnosis. Its unique pressure stabilisation design ensures stability under varying engine loads. The OceanGuard® Ammonia Fuel Supply System has received Approval in Principle (AIP) certifications from CCS, DNV, and RINA classification societies. Additionally, it has successfully integrated multiple key components with WinGD ammonia-fueled engines for onboard applications. 

Simultaneously, Headway successfully delivered another large-capacity Methanol Fuel Supply System module for Dalian Marine Diesel after delivery the first in 2023 and the module is compatible with 65,000 kW methanol dual-fuel low-speed engines.