Decarbonising the shipping industry requires collaboration and investment in developing new fuel types and propulsion technologies, with hydrogen fuel poised to play an important role in the energy transition of this sector, reports the World Platinum Investment Council (WPIC).

Establishing safe technologies that the industry has confidence in is a vital part of achieving a move away from fossil fuels, it states.

The shipping industry is vital to the global economy, with about 90% of all globally traded goods transported by sea. But, with about 100 000 commercial vessels in deployment, it accounts for about 3% of global greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions.

The WPIC states that the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) – a United Nations agency responsible for regulating shipping – aims to reduce GHGs from ships by at least 50% from 2008 levels by 2050.

In this regard, the WPIC points to electrification, robotics, automation and motion company ABB and platinum-based proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell systems developer Ballard, which are partnering on a project to make zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell technology commercially available for use in large ships.

The partners’ ambition is to produce a high-power hydrogen fuel cell unit capable of generating 3 MW of electrical power, thereby making it feasible to combine units to reach higher total power than is practically possible with smaller power units.

The high-power fuel cell unit is a flexible solution that will support the energy needs of a diverse range of vessels requiring multiple 3 MW blocks of power.

As such, the WPIC suggests a cruise vessel operating in coastal areas could either run entirely on fuel cell power or switch to it when operating in environmentally-sensitive areas or emission-control zones.

A ferry, with a regular schedule and frequent bunkering opportunities, could meanwhile operate solely on fuel cell power.

For long-distance ocean-going vessels, fuel cell power could support auxiliary needs.

All things considered, the WPIC states that the concept of the fuel cell solution also envisions the integration with an energy storage system.

Further, the WPIC highlights that the ABB and Ballard collaboration recently achieved an important milestone when it received an approval in principle (AIP) from classification society DNV for its high-power hydrogen fuel cell unit.

DNV delivers testing, certification and technical advisory services and its AIP provides early phase verification of the new design concept – an important step in building trust in this new technology, states the WPIC.

With the AIP in place, the WPIC says, the jointly developed solution can move to its next phase of becoming commercially available in the next couple of years.

Meanwhile, the WPIC points out that Sweden-based fuel cell module producer PowerCell has also been working to bring megawatt PEM fuel cell systems to the maritime market, with a focus on space, safety and classification issues.

It, too, has been working closely with classification organisations, developing a safety case in accordance with IMO legislation.