Hydrogen-talk with our new employee, Kjellbjørn Kopperstad
It’s a pleasure to introduce our newest colleague, Kjellbjørn, who brings with him an extensive experience from the maritime industry into the cluster.
With his many years of experience from roles both at Ulstein Group, HAV Group and Hyon, we`ve asked Kjellbjørn to share his insights with us regarding both the challenges and opportunities in the transition to hydrogen as a fuel in the martime sector.
Based on your previous experiences, what would you highlight as both opportunities and challenges in the transition to adopting hydrogen as a fuel in the maritime sector?
Hydrogen represents clean energy when produced from renewable sources, and hydrogen as a fuel in ships will significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In dialouges with shipowners, I have often pointed out the following:
Hydrogen as maritime fuel will become competitive over time as requirements and regulations related to reduced greenhouse gas emissions come into effect. I really think hydrogen propultion is well- suited for vessels up to a certain size, with at certain consumtion and with a predictable operational area. Its also really positive that shipsowners `can expect significant financial support from the Norwegian support system for both retrofitting or newbuilds when utilizing hydrogen as fuel. There is currently a lack of hydrogen infrastructure, but hydrogen bunkering stations will be established along the coast (and in EU contries) over the coming years.
I see hydrogen propultion with fuel cells as an efficient and robust technical solution, often in combination with a certain battery pack. Almost all surplus energy (heat) can be recovered for onboard use, including heating/cooling or electrical production.
My advice is not to only focus on “100% zero emissions”, but also look at hydrogen as an enabler for reducing greenhouse gases when combined with other fuels.
Navigating the Challenges and Opportunities in the Transition to Hydrogen-Powered Maritime Transportation
Kjellbjørn continues:
The transition from traditional fuels to hydrogen in ships involves both retrofitting existing vessels and newbuilts. This transition period requires significant investments, and economic challenges are encountered. Safety in the use of hydrogen will also be crucial, as hydrogen is extremely flammable and explosive and must be handled accordingly. Addressing these challenges will be crucial for the successful integration of hydrogen as a viable and sustainable maritime fuel. Incentives and support schemes throughout the entire maritime hydrogen value chain must be in place for success. Collaboration among suppliers, classification/authorities, research institutions, shipping companies, and, importantly, political will and support will play a crucial role in adopting hydrogen in ships. I think the cluster can play an important role as both facilitator and catalyst, in all these areas.
The production of hydrogen through electrolysis is a well-known technology. Challenges include finding the right geographic location in relation to access to the electrical grid, as well as establishing good infrastructure for distribution and proximity to consumers. Surplus heat from production should also be able to be distributed to nearby homes and industries. Efficient solutions for utilizing surplus heat must be developed. Provision must be made for the sale of oxygen, a byproduct of production. To achieve competitive prices for consumers, a large production volume is crucial. The implementation of cost-effective methods for hydrogen production, along with the development of efficient storage and distribution solutions, is essential for the economic viability of hydrogen as maritime fuel.
Hydrogen storage can be divided into compressed hydrogen (CH2) and liquid hydrogen (LH2). Liquid hydrogen has a higher energy density than compressed hydrogen, but LH2 is more complex and incurs higher costs in production, distribution, storage, and usage compared to CH2. CH2 is stored on board in pressurized containers (typically 250-350 bar), while LH2 is stored in specialized tanks cooled to approximately -253 °C.
When using hydrogen as fuel in ships, fuel cells and piston engines are the most suitable, converting hydrogen into electrical energy to power the ship's propulsion systems. Often, there are larger or smaller battery packs on board to complement and stabilize the electrical system. Logistics for the simultaneous transfer of hydrogen and electric energy to batteries from land to ships must be coordinated and considered in tandem. Approval is typically overseen by classification societies and the flag state/authorities on the ship. Maritime regulations for hydrogen are still lacking, requiring extensive studies, risk assessments, and predictable approval processes. It is crucial to establish consistent and international regulations for hydrogen-powered ships. Harmonizing standards and regulations across borders is necessary to facilitate the use of hydrogen in ships. The development and implementation of secure and cost-effective arrangements and storage solutions on board are essential for the economic viability of hydrogen as marine fuel.
Maritime bunkering systems for CH2 and LH2 are quite different, and developing high-capacity systems to reduce the ship's downtime at the dock is challenging. Approval from authorities (such as DSB in Norway) is necessary for maritime bunkering stations, and safety zones must be established based on the hydrogen storage capacity. Therefore, a hydrogen station cannot be placed anywhere on a dock, and thorough studies and safety assessments must be conducted and approved.
For a successful integration of hydrogen as a viable and sustainable maritime fuel, we need to collaborate across the entire value chain.
The cluster is an effective collaboration platform with members from the entire value chain. I really look forward to tackling the challenges and opportunities pointed out, and I encourage our members to give me a call if there`s anything me or the rest of the team can assist with. We strongly believe that 2024 will be a year of action!
Hi!
Do you have comments on this article? Feel free to get in touch!
Kjellbjørn Kopperstad
Project Manager
+47 913 18 910
kjellbjorn(a)oceanhywaycluster.no