VIDEO INTERVIEW: Could H2 could be one way through the future fuel maze?

Could renewable hydrogen be the answer to the future fuel conundrum? Super Critical Solutions co-founder Luke Tam talks to Maritime Journal editor Debbie Mason about the problems with dual-fuel vessels, fuel availability and a host of other obstacles facing the maritime industry, as the company prepares to launch its electrolyser.

With hundreds of dual-fuel vessels already operating or on order, the industry is preparing for a multi-fuel future. But having vessels capable of using alternative fuels is one thing; having those fuels available at the right price and in the right places is another. Tam explains why shipowners face a difficult choice when investing in vessels that could remain in service for two decades, and why bringing down the cost of renewable hydrogen is critical to making the transition work.

The conversation explores how ports could become a key part of that solution. Super Critical Solutions is working with Forth Ports on a project to produce hydrogen using renewable electricity, with the fuel potentially used to provide power to vessels at berth and to fuel harbour tugs. It is an example of how ports could evolve from simply handling fuel to becoming producers and energy hubs in their own right.

But hydrogen will not necessarily be the fuel for every application. Tam discusses where direct electrification makes sense and where the demands of heavy-duty operations could require gaseous or liquid fuels. Hydrogen could also provide a route into other alternative fuels, including methanol and ammonia.

The interview also looks inside Super Critical Solutions’ electrolyser technology, its plans to move from pilot to commercial deployment, and the practical requirements for scaling up.

And with the industry still facing uncertainty over which fuels will ultimately emerge, Tam considers the role of regulation and the need for greater clarity from the International Maritime Organization to give shipowners and infrastructure providers the confidence to invest.