Zero-emission liquid hydrogen marine powertrain system in the making

British maritime enterprises Krensen, Trident Marine Electrical, and ACUA Ocean have joined forces to develop a zero-emission liquid hydrogen marine powertrain system.

The partnership brings together Krensen’s expertise in electric and hybrid marine propulsion technologies, Trident Marines’ experience in electrical engineering and automation, and ACUA Ocean’s UK patent pending hydrogen technology.

During the first phase of the project, ACUA Ocean recently announced the completion of the build and testing of their novel liquid hydrogen cryogenic tank, which has now received Lloyd’s Register Certification and is ready to deploy as part of the integrated hydrogen powertrain solution.

The prototype system will undergo factory acceptance testing in Lowestoft during the summer of 2023 before being fitted into ACUA Ocean’s hydrogen-powered USV for in-water testing in 2024.

The partnership is supported by funding from the UK Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition Round 2 (CMDC2) which was launched in May 2022, funded by the Department for Transport, and delivered in partnership with Innovate UK.

As part of the CMDC2, the Department allocated over £14m to 31 projects supported by 121 organisations from across the UK to deliver feasibility studies and collaborative R&D projects in clean maritime solutions.

Earlier this month the UK Government announced another boost to the green maritime sector with the launching of £60 million in government funding.

The funding comes from the third round of the government’s Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC3), which focuses on developing a range of clean maritime technologies including hydrogen, ammonia, electric and wind power. It is part of the wider £206 million UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE) scheme, announced in March 2022.

For the first time, the UK government is funding the development of new clean maritime technology across a 2-year period.

During the 2-year investment period, successful companies will be required to demonstrate that their projects will work in the real world, helping them to progress towards becoming an everyday reality.

The government funding has paved the way for the launching of numerous innovative projects, including the most recent one involving UK-based shipping company Carisbrooke Shipping and London-based tech startup Carnot. The duo is working on a zero-emission hydrogen auxiliary engine demonstrator.