Americas News
LNG Bunkering Standards Could Help Fast-track Liquid Hydrogen Bunkering
Already established LNG bunkering standards in the US could help fast-track the bunkering of liquid hydriogen as marine fuel.
LNG is currently the leading alternative bunker fuel, but as a non-carbon energy carrier with water vapour as its only emissions from use, many see potential in the use of hydrogen as marine fuel.
Bunkering standards for liquid hydrogen are also lagging behind other fuels, and overcoming regulatory barriers can often be more challenging than addressing the technical challenges.
Still, SWITCH Maritime says it is pressing ahead with plans to introduce a liquid hydrogen (LH2) powered vessel in the US.
LH2, as opposed to gaseous H2 (GH2) as used in existing projects by the firm, is better suited to larger vessels, it says.
Having already launched the GH2 fuel cell powered Sea Change now operating as part of the San Francisco Bay Ferry system, SWITCH says it is working on a 150-passenger, 25-knot catamaran for the same SF Bay Ferry service using the same GH2 storage and fuel cell equipment as featured in Sea Change.
But for larger zero-emissions harborcraft such as 300+ passenger ferries, vehicle ferries, and harbor tugs, SWITCH plans to transition from GH2 storage to cryogenic LH2 storage.
"What I like about LH2 fueling is that it will follow the same IGF Code that applies to cryogenic LNG fueling of ships in the US, so we have a precedent regulatory framework to work from," says Pace Ralli, Founder & CEO of SWITCH.
