DNV launches road map for safe hydrogen use

The ‘Handbook for Hydrogen-fuelled Vessels’ has been devised as part of the MarHySafe joint development project which aims to create a knowledge base for safe hydrogen operations in shipping.

Many in shipping recognise hydrogen’s potential as a fuel which can help the industry decarbonise, but the barriers to realising this potential are substantial. “Green hydrogen is one of the zero carbon fuels that could be vital to meeting the IMO GHG goals, but as with other new fuels, there are still significant challenges regarding its safe and wide-spread implementation,” said Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen, chief executive of DNV Maritime.

The handbook offers a way towards safe hydrogen operations using proton exchange membrane fuel cells. It details how to navigate the complex requirements for design and construction, covering safety and risk mitigation, engineering details for hydrogen systems and implementation phases for maritime applications.

“This handbook provides a comprehensive overview of what companies need to consider with a hydrogen-fuelled vessel, as well as areas that require further investigation and testing before this technology can be taken up on a larger scale,” said Nathaniel Frithiof, senior consultant, environment advisory at DNV Maritime and project manager for Phase II of MarHySafe.

In the summer, the MarHySafe project enters its second phase which will include pre-calculated risk assessments and experimental testing, as well as more work on hydrogen bunkering and standardisation.