Maritime Exhibition in Shanghai Debuts Ammonia and Hydrogen Ship Engines

by Jim Kendrick (Biofuels Digest) In China, CCTV reported Marintec China opened December 2 in Shanghai, bringing together over 2,200 exhibitors from more than 40 countries and regions. China’s first ammonia fueled medium speed engine and the world’s first marine ammonia-hydrogen engine received principle approval certificates at the event, signaling growing momentum behind low carbon propulsion.

The expo includes 11 themed sections, among them a Future Energy zone showing new applications of hydrogen, ammonia, and methanol in shipping. Model displays include the Adora Flora City, a domestically built large cruise ship, and the world’s largest LNG carrier. China also released, for the first time, its full series of domestically developed marine engines.

A parallel conference focuses on materials, intelligent ships, and digital systems, with forums led by researchers and engineers. More than 100,000 maritime professionals from 100 countries are expected to attend.

Organizers noted the scale of new product launches has surpassed previous years. “We hope to understand more of what users need,” one said, citing feedback as a driver of future engine development. READ MORE

Excerpt from Zijin: Fu’an, Fujian – FZU Zijin Hydrogen Power, a subsidiary of Zijin Mining, has successfully conducted offshore trials of China’s first vessel powered by an ammonia-to-hydrogen internal combustion engine (ICE). This milestone validates a commercially viable pathway to decarbonization, with the technology slashing operating costs by 45% and cutting carbon emissions by over 99% compared to conventional fossil-fuel-powered ships.

The breakthrough not only pioneers the application of ammonia-based hydrogen technology in ships but also offers a new solution to accelerate the zero-carbon transition of China’s coastal shipping sector.

The new vessel demonstrates significant advantages over pure electric alternatives, with a 30% lower purchase cost and quadruple the cruising range.

At the heart of the trial vessel lies an ammonia-based ICE range extender, an equipment independently developed by FZU Zijin, which integrates a traditional internal combustion engine with a proprietary ammonia decomposition reactor. This innovation addresses a key challenge facing the shipbuilding industry: the difficult ignition characteristics of ammonia-based fuel.

Compared to conventional fuel-powered vessels, the hybrid system delivers superior performance across three dimensions: faster power response, greater adaptability to varying operating conditions, and lower overall costs. It significantly extends the vessel’s operational range, seamlessly supporting both low-speed cruising for daily coastal navigation and high-power output for emergency scenarios – all while ensuring efficient ammonia-to-hydrogen conversion and stable energy supply.

The trial results underscore the strong potential of FZU Zijin’s technology to balance sustainability with profitability:

● Compared to traditional fuel vessels: 45% lower operating costs and over 99% reduction in carbon emissions.

● Compared to pure electric vessels: 30% lower purchase costs and four times the cruising range.

As China advances its carbon peaking and carbon neutrality strategy, the coastal shipping industry is under growing pressure to adopt green technologies. The successful trial provides a zero-carbon power solution for mainstream coastal vessels such as law enforcement ships, fishing boats, and short-haul freight vessels.

This latest achievement builds on FZU Zijin’s earlier success in launching China’s first ammonia-to-hydrogen fuel cell vessel, marking its strategic progress in developing two parallel, ammonia-based power solutions for the maritime industry.

Leveraging this success, FZU Zijin will now focus on optimizing the energy efficiency and operational reliability of its ammonia-to-hydrogen ICE system. The company aims to apply the technology to medium and large specialized offshore ships and freight vessels, providing crucial momentum for China’s coastal zero-carbon shipping industry and establishing ammonia-based hydrogen as a key driver in decarbonizing the shipping sector.

About Zijin Mining
Zijin Mining is a leading global metals and mining company and one of the world’s largest producers of gold, copper, and zinc. The company has more than 30 large-scale mining operations and projects across 19 countries on 5 continents. Leveraging strong in-house research, engineering, and development capabilities, Zijin maintains high operational efficiency and low costs in both acquisitions and operations. This enables the company to be an industry leader in value creation, underpinned by its philosophy of pursuing development for all and sustained by superior environmental, social, and governance performance. Zijin’s shares trade on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX: 2899) and the Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE: 601899). READ MORE

Excerpt from Bastille Post Global: "In recent years, an increasing number of new ship orders require new-energy propulsion, covering diverse power supplies, including LNG, methanol, ammonia, as well as hybrid systems with batteries. This is also the key direction for future maritime power development," said Qiu Aihua, deputy director of CSSC's 711 Research Institute.

Qiu emphasized that after making breakthroughs in green-fuel engines, there is an urgent need to accelerate collaboration across the industry chain, and expedite the construction of supporting infrastructure for the production, transportation, and bunkering of marine green fuels.

"China is actively advancing methanol and ammonia fuel production, a step that leverages the country's wind and solar advantages to form a competitive domestic supply chain. The self-developed high-performance medium-speed ammonia engine released at the exhibition has achieved an ammonia substitution rate of 86 percent, making it a globally leading product that helps build a complete, self-reliant green maritime power industry chain," added Qiu. READ MORE