Swiss marine engine developer WinGD has secured a breakthrough order that could push ethanol further into the spotlight as a marine fuel for deep-sea shipping.
Two 325,000 DWT Newcastlemax ore carriers ordered by Chinese owner Shandong Shipping Corporation will be equipped with WinGD’s ethanol-fuelled X-DF-M/E engines while operating under long-term charter to Brazil-headquartered mining group Vale.
The vessels, under construction at Beihai Shipbuilding, are expected to become the world’s first ocean-going ships ordered with two-stroke engines intended to run primarily on ethanol.
Each ship will be powered by a six-cylinder 6X82DF-M/E engine. The design is based on WinGD’s methanol engine platform already in service, but adapted for ethanol’s lower energy density through changes to fuel supply and injection pressure systems.
The project highlights growing industry interest in ethanol as a marine fuel as shipowners search for alternative fuels that are easier to source and handle than some next-generation options. Brazil already has large-scale ethanol production and export infrastructure, aligning with the vessels’ planned iron ore trade between Brazil and China.
Vale said its own studies suggest ethanol could cut greenhouse gas emissions by around 90% compared with heavy fuel oil, depending on production pathway and lifecycle assumptions.
“The adoption of ethanol as an alternative fuel is part of Vale’s strategy to combine flexibility and efficiency in the ships that transport our ore,” said Rodrigo Bermelho, Director of Shipping at Vale.
WinGD said the order follows more than a decade of work on alcohol-based marine fuels, including both methanol and ethanol.
The contract also includes options for additional engines if more vessels are added to the series, with engine deliveries scheduled from early 2029
