Group proposes producing hydrogen from LNG on board ships

Italian classification society RINA proposed on November 25 a clean concept for producing hydrogen from LNG on board ships and then using it as a fuel.

RINA is working on the concept with technology providers ABB and Helbio, the Liberian Registry, power equipment supplier Wartsila, and an unidentified energy major. The idea is to combine a ship's natural gas fuel with steam to produce hydrogen, which can then be used in internal combustion engines or fuel cells.

The CO₂ emitted from the process would be liquefied cryogenically and stored onboard for later disposal onshore, and some of it will also be used as inert gas.

Hydrogen has been touted as a key solution for decarbonising the shipping industry, which for decades has relied mostly on fuel oil. But there are both technical and economic challenges to using it as a marine fuel.

RINA said the solution, which it described as "revolutionary," could deliver a 70% cut in the carbon intensity of shipping much sooner than the IMO's target of 2050. It forgoes the need for investment in extensive infrastructure or major technological transformations, relying on equipment that can be easily fitted on the decks of vessels.

"The duration of the transition will depend on how far the [ship] owner wishes to remain ahead of the competition in terms of efficiency and sustainability and exceed the regulatory requirements," RINA said. "Only LNG bunkering will be required and, by progressively increasing the production of hydrogen, the consumption of fossil methane and associated methane slip will be reduced at the same rate."

Wartsila and ABB will study the use of hydrogen in internal combustion engines and fuel cells, while Helbio will produce reformer technology and manufacture. RINA and Liberian Registry will advise on the rules and regulations for novel concepts.