WinGD Delivers World’s Largest Methanol-Fueled Marine Engine

Swiss marine power company WinGD has reached a significant milestone with its first methanol-fueled engine passing factory and type approval tests and now heading for shipyard delivery. The ten-cylinder, 92-bore X-DF-M engine represents a major advancement in marine propulsion technology as the largest methanol-fueled engine built to date.

The groundbreaking engine will be installed on a 16,000 TEU containership being constructed for COSCO Shipping Lines at COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry’s Yangzhou shipyard.

The delivery marks a critical step forward in the maritime industry’s ongoing transition toward cleaner fuel alternatives.

WinGD’s expanding alternative fuel portfolio now includes 56 X-DF-M engines on order across bore sizes ranging from 52 to 92, with configurations comparable to the company’s diesel-fueled X-Engines. The addition of methanol capability complements WinGD’s existing decarbonization options, which include their established X-DF LNG-fueled engine platform and a developing ammonia-fueled X-DF-A platform.

“Production of sustainable, renewable fuels of all types continues to advance, but long-term availability and cost remain uncertain,” said Dominik Schneiter, CEO at WinGD. “Ship operators can place their trust in WinGD to deliver reliable, efficient engine designs that enable decarbonisation across all candidate fuels. As interest in methanol and regulatory clarity increases, we anticipate the X-DF-M platform will become a key contributor to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from global shipping.”

The achievement was celebrated at a delivery ceremony at engine builder CMD in Shanghai, attended by high-ranking executives from WinGD, CMD, and China State Shipbuilding Corporation, along with local government officials and industry partners. The event included a significant formality with eight classification societies signing the X-DF-M type approval certification, which authorizes WinGD’s design to be built by all engine builders.

“It is a big responsibility to build the first engine of any type, especially one for an emerging fuel with the potential of methanol,” said a CMD spokesperson. “Our debut methanol-fuelled engine performed as expected across all tests and we are looking forward to offering the X-DF-M platform as a new option for shipbuilders.”

The implementation strategy reveals a phased approach to methanol adoption. The newly approved engine will be installed on the fourth vessel of a new series, while the previous three vessels were equipped with 10X92-B engines that will be converted to 10X92DF-M engines after the commissioning of the first purpose-built methanol engine. WinGD has confirmed that dual-fuel methanol conversion packages will be available for their entire range of single-fuel and dual-fuel engines.

Methanol’s appeal as a marine fuel stems from its potential for low-carbon production. Similar to LNG, methanol can be produced with minimal carbon emissions using either biomass or renewable energy with captured carbon. The development of these sustainable fuel pathways – alongside similar routes for green ammonia and e-diesel – will play a crucial role in shipping’s energy transition.

The successful delivery of this first methanol-fueled engine demonstrates the commercial viability of alternative marine fuels and signals growing momentum in the industry’s shift toward more sustainable propulsion systems.

With methanol gaining traction as a practical alternative fuel option, WinGD’s X-DF-M platform appears well-positioned to address both immediate emissions reduction requirements and longer-term sustainability goals for global shipping operators facing mounting pressure to decarbonize their fleets.

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