H-fuelled bulk carrier wins Lloyd’s approval
Lloyd’s Register (LR) has given Norwegian ship owner Egil Ulvan Rederi Approval in Principle for its hydrogen-fuelled bulk carrier, With Orca.
The ship is being hailed as zero-emission in all operations, being powered by hydrogen stored on board in compressed form. The hydrogen combustion engine will be optimised and the vessel will also have a fuel cell system for energy production in low load conditions.
Some of the energy required to operate the 88m/5,500 tonne vessel will be harvested directly from the wind through two large rotor sails, says LR says, and any excess energy can also be stored in batteries.
LR marine and offshore director Mark Darley said the project was a world first in using several alternative propulsion technologies in combination.
“We have been working hard evaluating different solutions for the hydrogen system onboard,” said Norwegian Ship Design CEO Gjermund Johannessen. “We have developed a unique and safe hydrogen concept, and we used hydrogen’s special properties as one of the means to achieve this.”
The LR approval was awarded after a risk-based HAZID certification was completed, and the company plans to enter it into a long-term transport contract with cargo owners Felleskjøpet Agri and Heidelberg Cement.
Designed by Norwegian Ship Design, the hydrogen will be supplied by Statkraft and is scheduled to begin operations in early 2024, when it will sail routes mainly in the North Sea – which has ideal windy conditions.
It will carry aggregates from western to eastern Norway and grain in the opposite direction.
Per-Kenneth Øye, Chief Transport Officer at Felleskjøpet Agri SA, said: “Our aim is to achieve sustainable fleet renewal, phasing out old tonnage. The project was initiated to set the standard for others to follow, and we are pleased that we now have accomplished this important step.”
“The project marks a milestone in the journey towards a zero-emission future for the shipping industry,” said LR, which says it is actively involved in a number of maritime decarbonisation projects through its Maritime Decarbonisation Hub in a bid to accelerate the move towards decarbonisation across the maritime sector.
