Alfa Laval completes Factory Acceptance Test for FCM Ammonia, confirming commercial readiness for ammonia-fuelled engines

Alfa Laval has completed the certified Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) for the FCM Ammonia fuel supply system, class-certified by the China Classification Society (CCS). The FAT confirms the system has passed functional and safety verification procedures in accordance with required standards, demonstrating suitability for safe integration into an ammonia-fuelled two-stroke engine environment.

From concept to class-certified commercial reality

As the maritime sector advances toward low- and zero-carbon fuels, ammonia is gaining momentum as a key decarbonization pathway for deep-sea shipping in the long run. Commercial adoption requires not only engineering feasibility and supply chain readiness but also certified safe systems and validated manufacturing processes.

The FAT for the first FCM Ammonia unit, the initial of seven units ordered by Tianjin Southwest Maritime for its dual-fuel ammonia carriers, marks a major step from development to commercial execution. It confirms that the system is technically robust, safe, and qualified to meet shipbuilding demands.

At the core of this milestone is dual validation. CPGC (CSSC Power Group Corporation), the system integrator and buyer, has validated the fuel supply system design and production quality. Separately, CCS conducted a comprehensive review and on-site witnessing of Alfa Laval's FCM Ammonia fuel supply system in accordance with the Guidelines for Ships Using Alternative Fuels and relevant international regulations, certifying compliance with stringent marine safety and technical standards. Together, these validations underpin customer confidence and regulatory acceptance for commercial readiness.

Roberto Comelli, Europe E&S Manager, Marine Separation & Fuel Supply Systems, Alfa Laval, commented that completing the certified FAT for Alfa Laval’s FCM Ammonia represents a notable step in industry maturity and readiness from design to production to support the ammonia transition in commercial shipping.

Full supply chain control is essential when introducing a new fuel into the marine environment, and it starts with ensuring key component traceability and robust supplier qualification, according to Cui Yuwei, General Manager of CCS Athens Branch. The successful FAT demonstrates that the system meets fundamental requirements for design safety, functional integrity, and production quality control, advancing ammonia toward viable commercial use for the next generation of vessels.

Certified design, safety and production readiness

The FAT validates FCM Ammonia design, control architecture, safety layers and ammonia-handling routines in a marine environment. The test program covered full hardware integration and I/O verification, control and safety logic validation, simulation of operational and fault scenarios, functional testing of ammonia-handling, and detailed documentation review conducted in accordance with class requirements.

The project enables Alfa Laval to establish and validate a supply chain capable of delivering ammonia fuel supply systems for marine applications, aligned with class requirements. This ensures that the capability demonstrated at Alfa Laval’s Monza, Italy manufacturing site represents a commercial solution ready for series production.

Moving from certification to onboard integration

The FAT represents the first step in a sequence of deliveries under the contract. Following class approval and customer validation, the next phases will include installation on board the LPG/ammonia vessel, commissioning activities, and fuel and gas trials at sea. Additional identical modules will follow as the vessel program progresses, with CCS overseeing upcoming phases.