LDA’s liquid hydrogen-based SOV concept gets Bureau Veritas approval

Louis Dreyfus Armateurs (LDA) has received an Approval in Principle (AiP) from Bureau Veritas for its full liquid hydrogen-based service operation vessel (SOV).

The liquid-hydrogen SOV is said to be able to operate 95% of the time with zero carbon emissions, with the vessel only releasing water during standard operations.

This would save approximately 4,000 tones of CO2 per year compared to conventional vessels.

The SOV will be able to accommodate up to 90 technicians for 24/7 offshore wind support and maintain 14 days of endurance at sea, according to LDA.

The vessel can be refueled in just six hours using trailers, avoiding the need for extensive port infrastructure, said the company.

“At LDA, we are committed to developing tailored, purpose-built SOV solutions that push the boundaries of sustainable innovation. In addition to full-electric and dual-fuel methanol solutions, which are already available, we see hydrogen as a key fuel for the future of maritime decarbonization,” added LDA.

In terms of other news coming from LDA, the company was awarded three contracts by Vattenfall at the beginning of this year for the provision of SOVs in Germany.

The SOV agreements, signed in January 2025, are valued at €563 million in total.