Technology group Wärtsilä on Monday (28 November) said it has entered into a joint development agreement with Hycamite TCD Technologies, a privately-owned Finnish company specialising in the development of a pioneering technology for producing clean hydrogen and solid carbon from methane.
The two companies will work together to enable cost-effective production of hydrogen from LNG onboard marine vessels. The concept design will be ready by mid-2023 and the prototype testing unit will be ready during the second half of 2024.
The concept will allow the existing LNG infrastructure to be utilised and enable production of hydrogen onboard in combination with Wärtsilä’s LNGPac Fuel Gas Supply System.
By producing hydrogen onboard and blending it with LNG, the current range of fuel flexible Wärtsilä dual-fuel (DF) engines can reduce the vessel’s overall carbon dioxide and methane slip emissions.
Alternatively, the hydrogen can also be used in fuel cells onboard.
The by-product from the process is solid carbon that, unlike conventional technologies which produce carbon-dioxide (CO2) as a by-product, can more easily be stored and managed onboard. The carbon produced consists of high-grade allotropes, like industrial graphite and carbon nanotubes, thereby offering a possible additional revenue stream.
“We are investing in the development of viable future marine fuel technologies and solutions that can accelerate the efforts to decarbonise shipping operations. This collaboration with Hycamite is an important step forward towards meeting our corporate targets. Our gas engines can already operate with mixtures of hydrogen and LNG. The ability to produce the H2 onboard opens up exciting new opportunities. This solution overcomes the lack of an existing hydrogen supply infrastructure. It also supports reducing the safety risks around storing and handling of liquid hydrogen and enables a gradual decrease of the vessels’ environmental impact,” says Mathias Jansson, Director, Fuel Gas Supply Systems, Wärtsilä.
“We are delighted to be partnering with an established technology leader such as Wärtsilä. They bring a vast depth of knowledge and experience in marine fuel gas supply systems, and by working together, we can make the availability and onboard storage of hydrogen a realistic option for the marine industry,” says Laura Rahikka, founder and CEO of Hycamite.
The technology can in principle be applied for all vessels operating with LNG fuel. When using bioLNG, this solution enables even power generation on board ships with a negative carbon footprint.
Photo credit: Wärtsilä Corporation
Published: 29 November, 2022
‘We see a significant increase in orders of fuel pump systems for LNG-fuelled boxships, cruise ships and PCTC vessels,’ says CEO Søren Kringelholt Nielsen.
Aims to adopt a wider approach to sustainability by reducing the environmental impact of product manufacturing, and the impact of the products themselves.
Company expects to complete the retrofit programme on vessels, which are of Eco-design and built between 2015 and 2018, during Q1 2023.
PetroChina SIPG Energy delivered about 400 mt of bonded low sulphur fuel oil to Hong Kong-flagged “SITC Zhejiang”, which was berthing at Shanghai Port.
Combined company will be able to deliver higher manufacturing volumes and shorten delivery times further.
Destinations for the marine fuel included Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore in five cargo shipments, said company spokesperson Ely Chandra Perangiangin.
Discussions around the need to develop methanol bunkering operations are taking place at numerous ports ahead of estimated demand of above 7M mtpa by 2030, says Chris Chatterton of Methanol Institute.
‘Economics of the shipping market will be the key driver enabling methanol to be adopted at a higher pace going forth over next couple years as market begins to return to more normal rates,’ states COO.
Integr8 Fuel injunction varied by Singapore Court to allow former employees to start work at Hartree Group in December 2022 following failure to produce evidence on biofuels development plans.
Variability of sources can affect the stability and performance of biofuel bunkers produced from these feedstocks, in turn leading to difficulties in meeting regulations and industry standards, shares Bryan Quek.
Top three positive movers in 2022 were Bunker House Petroleum Pte Ltd (+7), Eastpoint International Marketing Pte Ltd (+5), and Eng Hua Company (Pte) Ltd (+6); newcomer Sinopec Fuel Oil (Singapore) gets 19th spot.
Livestock carrier also involved in earlier bunker claim with Glander International Bunkering due to remaining unpaid fuel bill of approximately USD 116,000, according to court documents obtained by Manifold Times.
