GL Plans Zero-Emissions Ship

The Zero-Emission Container Feeder Vessel would run on a hydrogen fuel cell.

GL Group has designed what it says is a concept for a liquid hydrogen-powered commercial ship that would be completely free of emissions.

The Zero-Emission Container Feeder Vessel, intended for use in northern European waters, would produce no emissions itself, and, by using fuel produced with surplus wind energy, it would avoid the indirect production of pollution as well.

The concept produced by the German ship classification, oil and gas, and renewables company includes a full open top, 1,000 TEU intake with 150 reefer slots, and a 5 MW fuel cell system for propulsion.

To minimise the ship's power needs, it would have a speed of only 15 knots.

The hydrogen fuel tanks are arranged forward and aft to support a dual-bunkering approach and achieve a three-hour refuelling time.

The ship would also include a 3 MWh battery system, charged by the fuel cell, to store power for peak usage as the company said fuel cells typically cannot generate peak power rapidly.

Hydrogen cells generate electricity at 50 percent efficiency compared to about 15 percent for diesel fuel, according to a presentation by the European Islands Network on Energy & Environment (ISLENET).

Ship & Bunker reported today that Det Norske Veritas (DNV) and its partners have successfully installed, and demonstrated the smooth operation of a 330 kW fuel cell on board the offshore supply vessel Viking Lady, saying the project "has paved the way for safe and smooth introduction of fuel cells for ships."

A prototype zero-emissions passenger ship, or ZEMSHIP, launched for the first time in 2006 as part of a European Union-supported project to demonstrate the value of hydrogen fuel cells in ships.