MAN Engines, CLAAS and WTZ Roßlau study ammonia as fuel for heavy farm machinery
MAN Engines, farm machinery maker CLAAS and research institute WTZ Roßlau are teaming up on GAMCO, a publicly funded project testing whether ammonia can power heavy agricultural machinery.
- October 2029
- 8th Energy Research Programme of the Federal Government
- more than 100 years
- more than 75 years
What Happened
MAN Engines, agricultural machinery manufacturer CLAAS and the research institute WTZ Roßlau are working together in the research project GAMCO (Green Ammonia Multifuel Combine). The joint project, which runs until 2029, examines the use of ammonia as an energy carrier for heavy agricultural machinery under near-practical operating conditions. Ammonia is described as a carbon-free energy carrier and an interesting approach for researching new drivetrain concepts. The starting question is how heavy farm machines can meet high power requirements in future while at the same time using alternative energy carriers.
The aim of GAMCO is to develop a drivetrain concept for heavy off-road applications and to study it under realistic conditions. The focus is on what alternative energy carriers can contribute to applications that demand high power, long operating hours and a high degree of operational flexibility, and on how ammonia can be used technically for such duty profiles. At the same time, the opportunities and challenges of ammonia in practical use are being examined scientifically. A key goal is not to leave the research results on the test bench but to investigate their relevance for real operating conditions, so that future drivetrain concepts for heavy mobile work machines can be better assessed.
- MAN Engines contributes its engine and development expertise, including long experience in high-performance engines for off-road, industrial, power and marine applications, and in the development and simulation of modern combustion engines.
- CLAAS contributes its expertise as an agricultural machinery manufacturer.
- WTZ Roßlau contributes its experience in developing and testing new drivetrain technologies.
- The project is funded under the 8th Energy Research Programme of the Federal Government and runs until October 2029.
“As a development partner to our customers, we want to open up new paths to reducing CO₂. With GAMCO we are examining what potential ammonia offers for demanding applications.”
“The decarbonisation of heavy off-road applications will not be solved by a single technology. That is why it is important to scientifically investigate different energy carriers and drivetrain concepts and to assess their potential realistically. With our experience in the development and simulation of modern combustion engines, we are making a substantial contribution to assessing the technical feasibility of ammonia-based drivetrain concepts for power-intensive applications.”
The partners say the knowledge gained should help to better understand and technically classify future applications of alternative energy carriers for demanding duty profiles. Together they aim to gain new insights for the further development of technology-open, practice-oriented drivetrain solutions and thereby contribute to the future transformation of agriculture. MAN Engines, the engine business unit within MAN Truck & Bus, supplies drives for off-road applications including combine harvesters, forage harvesters, tractors and other mobile work machines.
Previously from MAN Truck & Bus
MAN Truck & Bus has been pushing alternative drives in its truck business in parallel with this engine research. In October 2026 Germany's federal transport minister Steffen Bilger test-drove MAN's new long-haul electric truck, the eTGX, which the company says can cover 720 km, and heard the message that the trucks are ready but charging infrastructure, power grids and financing must catch up.
Background drawn from MotorClaw's earlier coverage of MAN Truck & Bus's official releases.
Why this matters
Heavy farm machinery is hard to electrify, so manufacturers are testing carbon-free fuels instead of batteries for machines that must deliver high power over long working hours. The findings matter to farmers who depend on such machines and to engine suppliers like MAN Engines, which sells drives for combines, forage harvesters and tractors. The work is publicly funded and runs until October 2029.
Terms in This Story
- Ammoniak (ammonia)
- A chemical compound of nitrogen and hydrogen that contains no carbon and is being studied as a possible energy carrier for engines.
- Dekarbonisierung (decarbonisation)
- The process of cutting carbon dioxide emissions from a sector or application, usually by moving away from fossil fuels.
- Prüfstand (test bench)
- A rig on which engines or drivetrains are run and measured under controlled laboratory conditions rather than in the field.
- Verbundprojekt (joint project)
- A publicly funded research collaboration in which several partners each contribute their own expertise to a shared goal.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.