American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) has developed and published a set of requirements to guide the industry in the use of hydrogen-fueled vessels.
The ABS Requirements for Hydrogen Fueled Vessels offers the industry a risk assessment framework for introducing hydrogen as marine fuel to a fleet. The issued guidelines are building upon projects such as the ABS-classed, Glosten-designed hydrogen-fueled research vessel for the University of California San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
The requirements regard, among other things, the following:
- Ship design and arrangement
- Fuel containment system
- Material and general pipe design
- Bunkering and fuel supply to customers
- Power generation including propulsion and other energy converts
- Fire safety, explosion prevention and area classification
- Ventilation
- Electrical installations
- Control, monitoring and safety systems
- Survey, manufacture, workmanship and testing
- Training, drills and emergency exercises
- Operation
ABS has also supported vessels such as Veer Voyage, a wind-powered containership with auxiliary fuel cell propulsion that utilizes green hydrogen as fuel, by leveraging the risk assessment defined in the new ABS document.
ABS is working with leading organizations to support the safe development and use of hydrogen as a marine fuel. The requirements we have developed are a key step toward supporting vessels on their decarbonization journey
… said Gareth Burton, ABS Vice President, Technology.
To remind, ABS has also issued requirements for onboard carbon capture at sea.
