Norway Accelerates Hydrogen-Power Bulker Project for Shortsea Shipping
Norway’s LH2 Shipping reports it is accelerating the development of hydrogen-powered shortsea shipping bulkers for the Baltic with an additional grant from the Norwegian government program to accelerate the green energy transition. The company will add a fifth and sixth bulker to its plan, saying that increased support reflects the growing momentum for liquid hydrogen as a viable alternative fuel for shortsea shipping.
The company was awarded an additional grant of approximately $35.82 million from Enova, which it says will be used for the development and construction of two additional hydrogen-powered bulk carriers. It said that Enova’s support will also indirectly enable LH2 Shipping to continue its work developing additional zero-emission solutions for passenger transport and offshore operations.
The company was founded in 2023 and has already been the project lead for the introduction of the first LH2-powered vessel, Norway’s MF Hydra ferry. It is gaining critical experience from the ferry and looks to expand it into other shipping categories. With the latest grant, it has received a total of $83.2 million from Enova.
The company has previously unveiled its designs for 7,700 dwt dry bulk carriers for shortsea shipping. It envisions a service that would spend 50 percent of its time in Norway, loading from Norway and operating to the continent and in the Baltic.
The design calls for ships that would be 108 meters (354 feet). They are working to optimize the hull, propulsion, and energy system solution to reduce energy consumption by a minimum of 30 percent compared to conventional ships operating this service.
The onboard hydrogen systems will consist of a 17-tonne LH2 storage tank and 3400kW of PEM fuel cells. A 3 MWh battery pack will be installed to support the fuel cells, as well as to be able to operate the ship in port. The ships will be arranged to use shore power where this is available for loading and unloading operations. A standby diesel generator pack will also be installed, where the ships can sail on diesel/biodiesel if the LH? supply fails, or is not in place in time when the ships are delivered from the shipyard. Other features of the design include solar panels installed on the catch covers.
that matters most
Get the latest maritime news delivered to your inbox daily.
“This award is an important strategic milestone for LH2 Shipping,” said Ivan Østvik, CEO of LH2 Shipping. “It strengthens our position as a developer of liquid hydrogen-based zero-emission vessel solutions and brings us yet another step closer to our ambition of enabling a substantial fleet of hydrogen-powered vessels that can help establish a complete maritime liquid hydrogen value chain.”
While significant work remains before hydrogen becomes widely adopted across the industry, LH2 Shipping believes that continued project execution, infrastructure development, and collaboration across the maritime value chain is key to realizing zero-emission shipping at scale.