KR awards AiP to VINSSEN for Korea’s first hydrogen fuel cell-powered tugboat

South Korea’s maritime decarbonisation technology provider VINSSEN on Monday (17 March) said it has received the Approval in Principle (AIP) certification from the Korean Register (KR) for Korea’s first tugboat featuring a hydrogen fuel cell propulsion system. 

The certification marked a significant milestone in the development of eco-friendly technologies, initiated through a memorandum of understanding MOU with KR Engineering (KRE) in April last year. 

“The joint-research project between the three organizations represents a major leap in applying decarbonisation technology to high-carbon-emitting vessels, such as tugboats, advancing the maritime industry’s shift toward sustainability,” VINSSEN said.

VINSSEN leads the engineering of the eco-friendly hydrogen fuel cell propulsion systems, while KRE handles the tugboat’s base performance and layout engineering. 

This 2,700 kW hydrogen fuel cell-powered electric tugboat uses hydrogen fuel and stores excess electricity generated by the fuel cells in batteries for low-load operations.

During high-output scenarios, the stored energy from the batteries supplements the fuel cell’s power to ensure stable and efficient propulsion, enabling peak-load operations.

VINSSEN provides a practical and scalable eco-friendly propulsion system for port operations, optimising hydrogen energy use based on the tugboat’s operational profile. 

The system is designed to meet current and future environmental regulations while delivering exceptional performance in harsh and specialized marine environments.

Photo credit: VINSSEN
Published: 18 March, 2025