Shell to trial fuel cell in LNG carrier
Written by Nick Blenkey
Karrie Trauth, senior vice president at Shell Shipping and Maritime (center) and other signatories to the SOFC fuel cell consortium agreement.
Under a consortium agreement signed in Seoul today, Hyundai Heavy Industries Group will install a 600 kW high-efficiency solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) for power generation on a 174,000 cubic-meter LNG carrier that will be operated by Shell from 2025. Based on this, the shipbuilder plans to develop and supply high-efficiency, eco-friendly ships that can apply fuel cells to propulsion power sources in the long term.
The LNG carrier will use fuel cells as an auxiliary power unit (APU) in a one year demonstration on the ship’s actual trade route.
Hyundai Heavy Industries Group will build the ship, design and install the SOFC placements, and integrate the ship system.
Shell will manage and operate the ship and will manage and operate the demonstration project. Doosan Fuel Cell and East Hartford, Conn., headquartered Doosan Group subsidiary HyAxiom will develop and supply fuel cells for the ship. DNV will provide technical and safety expertise.
The agreement signing ceremony was attended by Samhyun Ka, vice chairman and CEO of KSOE (Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering), the intermediate holding company of Hyundai Heavy Industries Group’s shipbuilding sector); Sungjoon Kim, head of KSOE’s Advanced Research Center; Karrie Trauth, senior vice president at Shell Shipping and Maritime; Jeff Hyungrak Chung, president and CEO of HyAxiom; Hooseok Che, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Doosan Fuel Cell; and Vidar Dolonen, Regional Manager, Korea & Japan, DNV.
“This consortium and the cutting-edge technology we’re pioneering could help deliver less carbon-intensive operations in the near term while unlocking a pathway to net-zero through the blending of conventional and alternative fuels until zero-carbon options are available at scale,” said Shell’s Karrie Trauth. “We’re excited to be collaborating with some of the leading names in shipping who share a vision of a zero-emission industry and are working hard to progress shipping decarbonization.”
In addition to participating in this consortium, Hyundai Heavy Industries Group is developing its own SOFC technologies to promote fuel cell development projects.
Categories: Environment, News, Shipping
