ClassNK has issued an Approval in Principle (AiP) for a maritime hydrogen fuel cell system developed by YANMAR Power Technology (YANMAR PT).
In particular, ClassNK has issued the “Guidelines for Fuel Cell Power Systems On Board Ships (Second Edition)”, specifying safety requirements for the design of ships using fuel cell power installations and the systems themselves to promote and expand the utilization of fuel cells in ships.
According to ClassNK, the maritime hydrogen fuel cell system (300kW) developed by YANMAR PT is designed with key auxiliary components such as gas valve units integrated within the system enclosure, aimed to facilitate easy installation on ships.
On top of that, the system allows for parallel connection of multiple units and adjustments to the number of hydrogen fuel cell modules, making it adaptable to various ship power output requirements.
What are hydrogen fuel cells?
A fuel cell is a device that converts chemical energy from a fuel into electricity through an electrochemical reaction of the fuel with oxygen or other oxidizing agent.
Most consist of an anode, cathode and an electrolyte that allows positively charged hydrogen ions to move from the anode to the cathode side of the fuel cell. The main benefits are increased energy efficiency, low to zero emissions and reduced noise levels.
ClassNK carried out a review of the system in line with its guidelines, and examined the result of required tests and risk assessment. Upon confirming it complies with the prescribed requirements, ClassNK issued the AiP. This is the first AiP certification for a maritime hydrogen fuel cell system developed by a Japanese manufacturer.
