Everllence has completed R&D testing of an ethanol-capable marine engine that will be fitted to what is being described as the world’s first ethanol-powered very large ore carrier, the company and industry reporting show.
The company announced the Everllence B&W G80 ethanol capable engine was tested and verified at the Engine and Machinery division of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries in Korea, a development reported on 4 September 2026.
The engine is destined for the third ship in a series of ten very large ore carriers ordered by Shandong Shipping, the material supplied states. The announcement identifies the unit specifically as an Everllence B&W G80 capable of operating on ethanol.
The milestone underlines the industry’s continuing experimentation with alternative marine fuels, particularly for large bulk carriers where fuel selection can influence operational patterns and fuel logistics. The significance of the test lies in proving an ethanol-capable design at the scale of an engine intended for very large tonnage vessels.
Test location and verification
R&D trials took place at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries’ Engine and Machinery division in Korea where the machine was put through verification procedures, according to the published notice. Everllence described the outcome as a completed test and verification.
The report does not provide detailed test parameters or performance figures, nor does it outline a schedule for installation aboard the third vessel, but it confirms the engine has passed the verification stage in the manufacturer’s research programme.
The ship series and commercial context
The engine will be fitted to the third of ten very large ore carriers ordered by Shandong Shipping, the announcement states. Those ten ships form the known order referenced in the published item; other contract details and delivery dates were not provided in the material supplied.
No port names, shipyards for final assembly, or dates for installation and sea trials were stated in the report. The announcement as published focuses on the engine test result and the assignment of the unit to the third ship in the ten-vessel series.
The completion of an R&D verification for an ethanol-capable G80-class engine is likely to draw attention from shipowners and engine makers evaluating fuel options amid evolving regulation and commercial pressures. The report confines itself to the factual announcement of the test having been carried out and the engine’s intended assignment within Shandong Shipping’s order.
The reports item of 4 September 2026 supplies the account of the test and the linkage to the ordered vessels, and it quotes the announcement by Everllence concerning the engine’s status. No further technical claims or operational timelines were included in the published summary.
As the sector monitors developments in alternative fuels for very large bulk tonnage, the verified test of an ethanol-capable G80 engine will be one of several items of interest in 2026, particularly for owners pursuing non-conventional fuel pathways for large ore carriers. The limited public information available in the report confines reporting to the test completion, the verification at HD Hyundai and the engine’s assignment to the third ship in Shandong Shipping’s ten-vessel order.