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

Classification society DNV on Thursday (13 March) released its latest white paper, providing shipowners with insights and tools to navigate the evolving regulatory landscape and safely implement ammonia and hydrogen as marine fuels. 

Both hydrogen and ammonia have properties that introduce new safety risks, triggering the need for increased focus on safety in ship design, construction, and operation. 

“However, the lack of specific mandatory international regulations for ships running on these fuels is a barrier to their widespread adoption,” DNV said. 

With its latest white paper, Safe introduction of alternative fuels – Focus on ammonia and hydrogen as ship fuels, DNV aims to support customers in implementing these fuels by providing increased predictability through classification rules and early dialogue with Flag Administrations. 

The paper also outlined the relevant safety challenges and considers the industry's efforts to ensure safe adoption and operation of these fuels at sea.

Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen, CEO Maritime at DNV, said: "In Maritime’s journey towards decarbonization, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Hydrogen and ammonia are emerging as possible solutions, and we are already seeing a growing newbuilding orderbook. To scale them up and get the benefits of the zero-carbon fuels, we will need, careful planning, technical expertise, upskilling of seafarers and deeper collaboration across the industry and beyond."

DNV is leading several initiatives to support the development and adoption of ammonia and hydrogen as marine fuels. These include the Nordic Roadmap for Future Fuels project, the Green Shipping Programme, and the MarHySafe joint development project.

Linda Hammer, Principal Engineer at DNV and lead author of the whitepaper, stated: "To safely operate ships using hydrogen or ammonia as fuel, ensuring that the crew understands the specific hazards of these fuels and the safety features built into the design is vital.”

“This will require updates to the safety management system, building in detailed operating procedures, comprehensive training for up-skilling personnel, and potentially making organizational changes. All of which are essential for developing a robust safety culture throughout the organization."

DNV has developed prescriptive classification rules as far as possible, aimed at ensuring increased predictability for owners, designers, and shipyards. The first edition of the classification rules for ammonia-fuelled ships was published in 2021, and the rules for hydrogen-fuelled ships were published in July 2024. 

Note: The full whitepaper can be read here while DNV’s rules and standards can be found here.

Photo credit: DNV
Published: 13 March, 2025

Latest figures from classification society DNV’s Alternative Fuels Insight (AFI) platform saw 34 new orders for alternative-fuelled vessels were placed in February 2025. 

This was almost entirely accounted for by LNG-fuelled vessels (33), with all orders placed for container vessels.  

The remaining order was for an ammonia-fuelled general cargo vessel. 

A total of 45 alternative-fuelled vessels have been ordered in the first two months of this year, representing a 35% decrease compared to the first two months of 2024. This is due to low order activity in January, including for conventional-fuelled vessels, and this month’s total is the highest since October 2024. 

The AFI platform also tracks the development of bunkering infrastructure for alternative fuels. Notably, this shows that eight orders were placed for LNG bunker vessels in February, representing a 50% expansion of the LNG bunker vessel orderbook.  

Jason Stefanatos, Global Decarbonization Director at DNV Maritime, said: “Following a relatively quiet month for vessel orders in January, it is encouraging to see the alternative-fuelled orderbook picking up speed again in February. 

“LNG remains the headline story, with a clear continuation of the trend towards these vessels evident since mid-2024. Again, this is being driven by the container segment, highlighting the importance of the voluntary market in driving maritime decarbonization. 

“Based on vessels already in the orderbook, the number of LNG vessels in operation is set to almost double by the end of the decade, and the need for supporting LNG bunkering infrastructure is intensifying. It is, therefore, especially encouraging to see a surge in the ordering of LNG bunkering vessels in February.” 

He concluded: “The success of the maritime fuel transition depends on the parallel development of key components like bunkering infrastructure and fuel supply. This can also be enhanced by the implementation of energy efficiency measures, which can both deliver short-term emissions reductions and support the long-term adoption of low- and zero-carbon fuels.”

Photo credit: DNV
Published: 4 March, 2025