Lomarlabs and Newlight to pilot hydrogen-diesel engine retrofits

Lomarlabs, an innovation arm of Lomar Shipping, has joined forces with technology company Newlight to pilot hydrogen-diesel engine retrofits and accelerate cost-effective, lower-emission solutions for maritime decarbonization.

Lomarlabs and Newlight will strategically collaborate on retrofitting conventional diesel engines to operate on a hydrogen-diesel mix, with an aim of reducing fuel consumption on average by 20% and lowering greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

To this end, the companies plan to conduct a pilot installation onboard Lomar’s vessel in the summer of 2025 to collect data and carry out harbor and sea trials.

According to Lomarlabs, workshop trials have already been conducted, demonstrating fuel savings of up to 30% and the new collaboration seeks to replicate these results onboard vessels.

The project will deploy Newlight’s dual-fuel retrofit technology, which is described as a low CapEx solution that enables existing vessels to integrate hydrogen as a cleaner fuel source, improving energy efficiency while maintaining operational flexibility.

Haran Cohen Hillel, CEO of Newlight, said: “Hydrogen has enormous potential as a maritime fuel, but transitioning entire fleets to pure hydrogen is a long-term challenge. We believe the industry cannot afford to wait. By taking immediate steps with the current fleet, we can decarbonise ship by ship—delivering real impact today. By retrofitting existing diesel engines to operate on a hydrogen blend, we provide an immediate, scalable solution that cuts emissions without requiring a complete overhaul of the propulsion systems.”

Stylianos Papageorgiou, Managing Director of Lomarlabs, added that “decarbonization isn’t about waiting for the perfect fuel; it’s about acting now with every viable tool at our disposal” with Newlight’s dual-fuel retrofit technology promising “an immediate, scalable and cost-effective way to reduce fuel consumption and emissions”.

Engine retrofits are considered a short-term solution for immediate carbon reductions as the maritime sector works toward meeting IMO decarbonization targets.

According to Lloyd’s Register’s latest Engine Retrofit Report, the industry has witnessed the resurgence of engine retrofits to LNG marine fuel in 2024. However, the observed progress in the industry’s ability to deliver ship engine retrofits for alternative fuels is threatened by the lack of strong incentives for fuel producers, the report warned.