World’s First High-Pressure Direct-Injection Pure Ammonia Engine for Heavy-Duty Commercial Vehicles Successfully Ignited

2026-04-28

On April 26, 2026, a mid-term review meeting for the National Key R&D Program Project – Key Technology Development and Application of Hybrid-Dedicated Ammonia Internal Combustion Engines for Heavy-Duty Commercial Vehicles – led by Guangxi Yuchai Machinery Co., Ltd., was held in Changshu, Jiangsu Province. The first prototype of the pure ammonia engine (single ammonia fuel) developed under the project was successfully ignited and operated stably, marking a major milestone breakthrough.

At the ignition ceremony, leading experts and officials witnessed this historic moment, including:

Wu Zhixin (Chairman of the EV Subcommittee, National Technical Committee of Auto Standardization), Li Shusheng (Deputy Director and Secretary-General, Chinese Society for Internal Combustion Engines), Jia Bin (Secretary-General, China Internal Combustion Engine Industry Association), Wang Tianyou (Executive Vice President, Tianjin University), Lin He (Executive Vice Dean, Wuxi Research Institute of Carbon-Neutral Power Technology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University), Zhong Yuwei (Deputy General Manager, Yuchai), and Lin Tiejian (Chief Engineer, Yuchai).

The successful ignition of the world’s first large-displacement, hybrid-dedicated, high-pressure direct-injection pure ammonia engine represents a historic breakthrough for Yuchai in zero-carbon power research. It validates the coordinated operation with a high-pressure ammonia-to-hydrogen system and the practical application of pre-chamber jet ignition for high-pressure direct-injection liquid ammonia.

This engine integrates multiple core advanced technologies: a pent-roof combustion chamber, active pre-chamber, in-cylinder high-pressure direct injection of liquid ammonia, after-treatment coupling for high-efficiency low-temperature nitrogen-based product conversion, and intelligent control for multi-hydrogen fuel coordinated injection. Its thermal efficiency matches the highest level of current heavy-duty diesel engines, creating an all-new zero-carbon power solution for long-haul heavy commercial vehicles that balances lifecycle cost advantages and low-carbon emission requirements, supporting the green zero-carbon transition of traditional internal combustion engines.

For the control system, the project has developed a hybrid-dedicated ammonia engine controller, filling Yuchai’s gap in independent core control software for hybrid ammonia engines. Equipped with a high-performance multi-core processor and large-capacity memory, the controller features fully independent core control logic, enabling precise regulation of pre-chamber ignition, ammonia-hydrogen mixture, and liquid ammonia injection, significantly strengthening Yuchai’s core competitiveness in zero-carbon engine technology.

The ammonia-to-hydrogen system adopted in this ignition uses a catalytic cracking high-pressure hydrogen production route, breaking through the technical barrier of high-efficiency catalytic conversion of ammonia under low-temperature and high-pressure conditions. With a new low-temperature ruthenium-based catalyst, the system achieves efficient hydrogen production from ammonia at just 400℃–450℃, greatly reducing energy consumption and high-temperature wear of equipment.

In recent years, Yuchai has continuously invested in low-carbon and zero-carbon power, achieving full-chain breakthroughs across hydrogen, ammonia, and methanol power:

Hydrogen power: Successfully developed China’s largest-displacement hydrogen engine YCK16H and completed vehicle demonstration operations; mastered PEM hydrogen production technology and launched a 30kW high-efficiency electrolyzer.
Ammonia power: Delivered China’s first ammonia dual-fuel low-speed engine 6X52DF-A-1.0, marking China’s marine power entry into the zero-carbon shipping sector.
Methanol power: Overcame ignition challenges of methanol and launched China’s most powerful spark-ignited pure methanol engine, certified by classification societies.

Yuchai has also built a flexible fuel technology platform to provide core power support for multi-energy transportation.

Going forward, Yuchai will actively respond to China’s “Dual Carbon” strategic goals, fully advance R&D in zero-carbon power technologies, and uphold high standards. The company will continue to explore cutting-edge power technology, build a complete independent intellectual property system for hybrid-dedicated ammonia engines, and strive to lead innovation in ammonia energy applications. Together with partners, Yuchai will build a full-chain demonstration and application ecosystem for ammonia energy in transportation, leading the industry’s high-quality green transition and contributing to the optimization of China’s transportation structure and the achievement of the “Dual Carbon” targets.

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