Wärtsilä partners with Norwegian ship owner, Eidesvik, on world’s first ammonia-fuelled platform supply vessel conversion.
Technology group Wärtsilä has signed a contract with Norwegian shipowner Eidesvik to supply the equipment for the conversion of an offshore platform supply vessel (PSV) to operate with ammonia fuel.
The vessel, Viking Energy, which is on contract to energy major Equinor, is scheduled for conversion in early 2026 and is expected to start operating on ammonia in the first half of 2026.
In addition to chartering the vessel Equinor contributes with financing for the conversion.
Wärtsilä will then supply the engine and complete fuel gas supply system and exhaust after-treatment needed for the conversion, making it also the first vessel to use Wärtsilä’s recently released ammonia solution.
The conversion project is planned for early 2026, with final commissioning expected in the second quarter of 2026.
Håkan Agnevall, president and chief executive officer of Wärtsilä said: “In just 25 years – the lifetime of a single vessel – shipping needs to get to net zero emissions. Achieving this will require coordinated action by all maritime industry stakeholders to bring about the system change needed to accept a new generation of sustainable fuels.
“With this new contract, together with Eidesvik, Wärtsilä is proud to be at the forefront of this movement. Decarbonisation is front and centre of our strategy and we are committed to developing and delivering sustainable solutions which not only ensure the viability of sustainable fuels, but also their safety.”
Eidesvik confirmed in its website that Viking Energy is part of the European innovation project ‘Apollo’ where the partners will retrofit the vessel with a dual fuel engine able to operate on ammonia.
“The project has been granted €5m in funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe programme,” the company said.
“Eidesvik has a unique history of pioneering the implementation of innovative emission-reducing technologies, and we are proud to spearhead yet another groundbreaking project together with Wärtsilä and Equinor,” noted Gitte Gard Talmo, chief executive officer and president of Eidesvik Offshore.
In addition to the Wärtsilä 25 Ammonia engine, Wärtsilä will supply the complete ammonia solution, including its AmmoniaPac Fuel Gas Supply System, the Wärtsilä Ammonia Release Mitigation System (WARMS), and a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system designed for ammonia.
