IHI Corporation
IHI Power Systems Co., Ltd.

IHI Corporation and IHI Power Systems Co., Ltd., today announced that they received the President’s Award at CIMAC Congress 2025 for their joint presentation of an ammonia-fueled engine at that event in Zurich, Switzerland, from May 19 through 23. This was the first time that any Japanese university, research institute, or company received the CIMAC President’s Award, marking a groundbreaking achievement for Japan’s engine industry.

CIMAC is a leading global non-profit association established in 1951 to promote the development of ship propulsion, train drives and power generation. It brings together entities involved in researching, developing, manufacturing, and operating reciprocating engines, gas turbines, and other internal combustion engines. This year’s congress featured more than 200 presentations.

There is growing interest in transitioning heavy oil-fueled engines to carbon-free alternatives to help combat climate change. Ammonia is a promising candidate because it does not emit carbon dioxide when burned. However, its lower combustibility compared to heavy fuel oil has posed significant technical challenges.

IHI and IHI Power Systems started tackling that challenge in fiscal 2020 by undertaking basic experiments to enable the use of ammonia in four-stroke reciprocating engines. They first looked into ignition conditions for ammonia fuel using a rapid compression and expansion machine, subsequently establishing continuous combustion conditions with a single-cylinder test engine.

In fiscal 2021, the two companies took part in a consortium as part of the Green Innovation Fund Project led by Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), to develop vessels with domestically produced ammonia-fueled engines. The other consortium members are NYK Line, Nihon Shipyard Co., Ltd., Japan Engine Corporation, and ClassNK (Nippon Kaiji Kyokai).

Land-based operational testing began in April 2023 at IHI Power Systems’ Ota Plant. Sea trials followed the shipment of two engines in February 2024. In August 2024, the Sakigake entered service at the Port of Yokohama for a three-month demonstration as the world’s first commercial ammonia-fueled tugboat.

Ammonia co-firing and greenhouse gas reduction rates both exceeded 90%, peaking at around 95%. Post-combustion treatment systems reduced ammonia and nitrous oxide (N₂O) concentration in exhaust gases to near-zero levels.

IHI Group continues to advance development and deployment of models for ammonia fuel utilization. By accelerating technological innovation and facilitating the early adoption of carbon-free fuels, the Group aims to contribute to the global reduction of environmental impact through the delivery of high-quality infrastructure.

Related Press Releases
August 23, 2024
Ammonia-Fueled was Completed
- World’s First Commercial-Use Ammonia-Fueled -
https://www.ihi.co.jp/en/all_news/2024/resources_energy_environment/1201003_13691.html
　
March 28, 2025
World’s First Commercial-Use Ammonia-Fueled Tugboat Completes Three-Month Demonstration Voyage
- GHG emissions reduced by up to approximately 95% -
https://www.ihi.co.jp/en/all_news/2024/resources_energy_environment/1201335_13691.html

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