Samsung Heavy Industries is accelerating the development and commercialization of the world’s first fuel cell-operated LNG carrier.
SHI succeeded in developing an LNG carrier powered by Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) for ships jointly with Bloom Energy of the US and obtained Basic Design Approval (AIP) from DNV, a Norwegian-German classification society.
As informed, the fuel cell-powered LNG carrier developed by Samsung Heavy Industries is an innovative method that does not require an internal combustion engine or other equipment that uses oil by replacing the ship’s propulsion engine with a SOFC using naturally vaporized LNG.
Therefore, it does not generate harmful substances such as sulfur oxides (SOx) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), and it can also significantly reduce greenhouse gas (CO2), so it is evaluated as an eco-friendly ship that can effectively respond to stringent environmental regulations.
In light of the situation, SHI plans to conduct a demonstration test at the LNG demonstration facility built at the Geoje Shipyard and plans to launch full-scale marketing for global ship owners.
Ho-Hyun Jeong, head of Samsung Heavy Industries’ technology development division, said:
The fuel cell-powered vessel is a new concept vessel that can dramatically reduce air pollutant emissions as well as noise and vibration and maintenance costs by replacing an internal combustion engine with a fuel cell.
Meanwhile, as the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Marine Environment Protection Committee decided to reduce carbon emissions in stages by introducing the Existing Ship Energy Efficiency Index (EEXI) and Carbon Intensity Index (CII) to ships from 2023, the demand for eco-friendly ships is expected to increase further.
