Oil major Shell revealed plans to collaborate on a feasibility study to trial the use of hydrogen fuel cells for ships in Singapore, a first of its kind both for the company and the port. If successful, it would help pave the way for hydrogen-powered, net-zero emissions shipping by 2050.
Shell, the charterer of the trial vessel and the hydrogen fuel provider, is working with Singapore-based marine engineering group, SembCorp Marine Ltd, and its wholly-owned subsidiary LMG Marin AS, who will design the fuel cell and retrofit the vessel, as well as Penguin International, who owns the Ro-Ro vessel.
We see fuel cells and hydrogen as a promising pathway for decarbonizing shipping and working with partners in this way will develop our understanding of this critical technology. This trial is a testament to the thriving sector ecosystem in Singapore that makes this possible. It is also part of our ambition to help accelerate progress towards net-zero emissions in the shipping sector, an important pillar of the Singapore economy,
…said Nick Potter, General Manager of Shell Shipping and Maritime, Asia Pacific & Middle East.
More specifically, the trial will develop and install an auxiliary power unit Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell on an existing Ro-Ro vessel that transports goods, vehicles and equipment on lorries between the mainland and Shell’s Pulau Bukom Manufacturing Site. The team will first carry out a feasibility study with the intention to install the fuel cell next year. The vessel will operate for a trial period of 12 months.
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The outcome of this trial, which is based on retrofitting a RoRo, could quickly bring many ship owners to the forefront of hydrogen, which is already regarded as a new frontier in alternative fuels for shipping, said James Tham, Managing Director of Penguin.
Hydrogen fuel cells have the potential to make shipping greener, with the ambition to achieve the 2050 target set by the IMO to reduce total greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping by at least 50%, Sembcorp Marine President and CEO, Wong Weng Sun, added on the occasion.
We appreciate the confidence the companies have placed on Singapore in trialing the applicability of this new technology within the Port of Singapore. This project, together with the other joint industry projects, complements efforts in Singapore to come up with commercially viable solutions to decarbonise the industry,
…noted Quah Ley Hoon, Chief Executive, MPA.
In November 2020, Shell Singapore outlined a 10-year plan for how the company could make significant investments in people, assets and capabilities to repurpose its core business and aim to cut its own CO2 emissions in the country by about a third within a decade. Shell has set out its target to be a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050, in step with society and with customers.
Shell has also announced it will be joining a consortium to develop an LNG fuel cell trial on a commercial deep-sea vessel, with partners from across the value chain, to demonstrate the maritime suitability of fuel cells and develop the technology for use with future fuels.
