果酱视频 spoke with WinGD, a leader in sustainable shipping, about its advanced two-stroke engines, emissions-reducing technologies, and lifecycle support. The discussion with VP R&D Sebastian Hensel highlights the technical and commercial potential of ethanol-fuelled engines and WinGD鈥檚 commitment to decarbonising marine propulsion.
WinGD, a global leader in marine propulsion, is advancing the decarbonisation of shipping through innovative energy systems, cutting-edge emissions reduction technologies, and digital optimisation. The company is redefining the way the marine industry approaches sustainability, combining advanced two-stroke low-speed engines with comprehensive lifecycle support through Global Service by WinGD. 果酱视频 spoke with Sebastian Hensel, Vice President of Research & Development at WinGD, about his professional journey, the technical and commercial case for ethanol-fuelled engines, and WinGD鈥檚 broader commitment to enabling a sustainable future for global shipping.
Complete Interview with Sebastian Hensel
Q: Please provide an overview of your professional journey and R&D leadership experience in marine propulsion and alternative fuels, and how these experiences have shaped your vision and approach at WinGD in pioneering ethanol-fuelled two-stroke engines.
Sebastian Hensel: As Vice President of Research & Development at WinGD, I lead our global innovation strategy, which today is deeply focused on enabling the clean-energy transition in shipping. My journey with WinGD began over 16 years ago as a combustion and computational fluid dynamics expert. Over the years, I鈥檝e held various roles鈥攍eading Collaborative Research and Engine Performance and eventually Global Testing 鈥� before stepping into my current position.
Taking a moment to reflect on our decarbonisation journey, I鈥檓 truly proud of how far we鈥檝e come. The urgency of the energy transition has placed engine technology front and centre, driving us to work at an extraordinary pace, one that鈥檚 both exhilarating and deeply motivating. But when we look at the innovation we鈥檝e brought to market in these past years; it is truly remarkable. I am inspired by what we have been able to overcome through commitment, drive and collaborations with our customers and partners.听 And I am proud of the legacy this will leave for the future generations who are depending on us.
Q: The new ethanol engine is adapted from the X-DF-M methanol engine. Could you explain the key technical modifications made to accommodate ethanol鈥�s higher energy density and different combustion characteristics?
Sebastian Hensel : Adapting the X-DF-M engine for ethanol is related to the different lower heating value, or energy density. This means that we need around 25% less fuel volume to generate the same power when using ethanol. To accommodate that, we need different fuel injection and engine control parameters and a fuel optimized nozzle design.
Because ethanol combustion involves different fuel-air mixtures and flame temperatures, there is also a slight impact on NOx formation. These emissions are tightly regulated by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and we manage those with the new injection atomizer design and changes to the control system.
Beyond managing the injected fuel amount and optimizing some combustion relevant parameters, there will be few, if any, changes to the wider storage and fuel supply system. Material compatibilities are similar, for example, and under the IMO鈥檚 IGF and IGC Codes (for gas-fuelled and gas carrying ships respectively), the same vessel and machinery safety rules apply for both alcohol fuels.
Q: How has WinGD鈥檚 10 years of research on ethanol and methanol helped shape the design, performance, and reliability of this new ethanol-fuelled engine?
Sebastian Hensel: Our early exploration into ethanol 10 years ago proved that it was a viable fuel for large two-stroke marine engines. Our deep understanding of its combustion characteristics, thermal efficiency and emissions profile, allowed us to design the injection and ignition concepts to optimize performance. Strong early market interest in methanol led us to bring that concept to market first, which has proven to be very favourable with our customers.听 Given the close similarity between methanol and ethanol, only minimal adaptation of the engine technology is required.
Q: Beyond ship owners, which stakeholders鈥攕uch as fuel suppliers, classification societies, or regulators鈥攈ave been critical in the development and commercialization of ethanol-fuelled engines, and how is WinGD engaging with them?
Sebastian Hensel: Collaboration is the key to accelerating the energy transition in shipping, so joining the Global Ethanol Association (GEA) as a founding member was a clear decision. We expect that it will become an important forum for sharing best practices as well as identifying opportunities to develop commercial and regulatory acceptance of ethanol as a marine fuel. By working with GEA, we are helping the shipping industry meet its decarbonization targets with solutions that combine flexibility, reliability, and sustainability.听
Engagement with classification societies and regulators on ethanol is progressing. To meet our customers鈥� needs for flexibility, we are advancing both a pure ethanol engine concept and a dual-fuel solution. Based on current discussions, we anticipate smooth classification approval and see no regulatory barriers to ethanol adoption as a viable marine fuel.
In terms of safety, the viability of ethanol is already accounted for in IMO regulations. IMO鈥檚 Maritime Safety Committee Circular MSC.1/Circ.1621 contains Interim Guidelines for the Safety of Ships Using Methyl/Ethyl Alcohol as Fuel, which is valid for both methanol and ethanol as fuel. That means the same safety regulations govern the use of both fuels.
Further engagement with regulators will be essential, as lifecycle analysis guidelines are finalised, ensuring that ethanol鈥檚 emissions-saving advantages of ethanol are correctly accounted for.
Q: Can you outline the main technical and operational challenges your team faced in scaling ethanol engine technology, and how WinGD鈥檚 R&D approach overcame these hurdles?
Sebastian Hensel : Having first tested ethanol and later developed methanol technology, we鈥檝e been able to adapt for ethanol use with straightforward, manageable technical adjustments.
We are now driving operational execution to meet market demand and deliver parallel technology rollouts. Backed by advanced resource planning and WinGD鈥檚 industry-leading testing infrastructure, we are fully equipped to deliver results with speed and precision.
Q: From a market perspective, how do you see global adoption of ethanol-fuelled marine engines evolving, and which regions or types of shipping are likely to lead in uptake?
Sebastian Hensel: There are specific countries where ethanol鈥檚 price and availability will make it an attractive option, for example in Brazil, US, Canada and India. Ethanol is already widely available and produced at significant scale in these markets. It is also competitively priced. That is in part due to lower-than-expected demand from road transport due to the emergence of electric vehicles. In some cases, ethanol is cheaper even than diesel, which makes it unique amongst biofuels.
As with other alternative fuels, it is difficult to predict how global availability will evolve, as this will be driven by future demand from sectors including shipping. So, it will likely be operators serving those markets where ethanol is widely available that will adopt it as fuel. In Brazil for example, where there are significant oil, iron ore and soybean exports as well as ready availability of ethanol, it is foreseeable that bulk carriers and tankers serving that market will consider using the fuel.
Our ethanol concept can in principle use methanol as well, with optimisation for either fuel. We therefore expect that ship owners already using methanol鈥攆or example container lines鈥攚ill be exploring the opportunity to use ethanol if it is available and competitive on the routes they trade. And as is often the case with new fuels, vessels already carrying ethanol will have an added incentive to use their cargo as fuel and are likely to be among early adopters.
Q: With sustainability regulations tightening worldwide, how is WinGD leveraging R&D to ensure ethanol engines not only meet current emission standards but also anticipate future regulatory requirements?
Sebastian Hensel: In terms of lifecycle analysis, which will be crucial for determining penalties and rewards under various regulatory regimes, the full well-to-wake emissions for ethanol depend on the feedstock, production process and supply chain (well-to-tank) as well as emissions arising directly from use (tank-to-wake). There are a wide range of ethanol feedstocks and production processes, and an increasing focus by producers on delivering low-emissions ethanol.
According to the Climate Ethanol Association:听 鈥淪ugarcane ethanol produced at an average facility in Brazil might show GHG savings of approximately 60% compared to fossil fuels under conservative assumptions, while more optimized facilities can achieve reductions approaching 90%. When the same lifecycle analysis methodologies and models are used, US corn ethanol offers similar GHG savings in the 50-70% range. These figures are consistent with existing data across methodologies in Europe, North America, and other regions.
鈥淔urther reductions are anticipated through the deployment of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies. As these advancements are adopted more broadly, it is plausible that average GHG savings could approach鈥攐r even exceed鈥�100% relative to baseline fossil fuel emissions under commonly accepted calculation methodologies.鈥�
Those figures suggest that ethanol could play a role in enabling ship operators to meet IMO鈥檚 target of net-zero emissions from global shipping by or around 2050.听 Our role is to design engines that use as little fuel as they can to fulfil the power demand, minimise combustion-related emissions, and work safely and reliably.
Q: Innovation is central to WinGD鈥檚 dual-fuel programs. How do you foster a culture of research, experimentation, and continuous improvement within your R&D teams to accelerate alternative fuel solutions?
Sebastian Hensel: In this regard, we are lucky 鈥� our core purpose, which is to power the clean-energy transformation in shipping is truly motivating and it requires a high degree of innovation.
Our innovation centre has been the core and backbone of WinGD technology for over 125 years. The teams today carry on our legacy of innovation by driving change in our industry at an exceptional pace.听 We are especially proud of our recent advancements in zero-near-zero fuel technology and product development which is a credit to the whole team.听
We share a passion and fascination for technology, and a genuine curiosity for how our products can improve the lives of our customers and the generations to come.听 Our processes enhance idea generation and creativity in the early stage of the development, while our commitment to operational excellence ensures safe and timely delivery at completion. Within the R&D environment we have young talents and senior experts engaged and empowered together, across our global locations. Our learnings are experienced together, and our achievements and extraordinary efforts are recognized and celebrated.听
Q: Looking ahead, what do you see as the most transformative opportunities for ethanol and other alcohol fuels in the marine sector, and where is WinGD focusing its R&D efforts over the next 5鈥�10 years?
Sebastian Hensel: WinGD envisions a multi-fuel landscape for maritime for several decades at least, with ship operators making fuel decisions based on availability and pricing for their specific areas of operation. Methanol and ethanol will have a role to play, and the scaling of lower emission variants will drive their use further.
Our mission is to ensure that ship operators can choose which fuel works for them, and the new ethanol engine is an example of how we aim to respond to emerging market demand. We offer safe, reliable, and efficient engine concepts for diesel, LNG, methanol, ammonia, LPG, and ethanol.听
果酱视频 Insights on Ethanol
In Europe, ethanol market activity in Germany during the second quarter of 2025 reflected a balance between soft demand and supply-side constraints. Prices eased slightly as weak consumption and logistical challenges, particularly rail and port disruptions around Hamburg and Bremerhaven, weighed on trade flows. Early in the quarter, subdued blending demand linked to cooler weather and lower gasoline use kept the market under pressure, though stability returned in May as port congestion limited availability. By late June, regulatory compliance needs supported a mild recovery in blending activity. Production costs remained elevated throughout the period due to high agricultural input expenses and energy-related inflation, though some relief was seen toward the end of the quarter. Imports from the Americas and intra-EU shipments helped offset domestic bottlenecks, yet market sentiment stayed cautious amid concerns over trade route irregularities. Looking ahead, stricter greenhouse gas reduction mandates and reduced certificate allowances are expected to strengthen ethanol blending demand in the coming months, adding upward pressure on prices as logistical constraints persist.
