BERG Propulsion Offers GreenForge Propeller Shafts
BERG Propulsion is offering the shipping industry its first opportunity to select propeller shafts made using the climate neutral GreenForge® production process.Three Louis Dreyfus Armateurs (LDA) ro-ro vessels due in service from 2026 to carry aircraft parts across the Atlantic are already set to take advantage of sustainable wind power, courtesy of their rotor sails, while their hybrid propulsion, power management and control technology is coming from BERG.In addition, BERG will supply propeller shafts made from recycled scrap steel…
More Shipowners Take the LNG Path to 2050
The outcome of MEPC 83 in April could establish the IMO’s mid-term GHG and carbon pricing strategy for achieving net-zero by around 2050. Not everyone is waiting; they have enough confidence in the LNG pathway to order new ships.According to the latest figures from DNV’s Alternative Fuels Insight (AFI) platform, 34 new orders for alternative-fueled vessels were placed in February 2025, 33 of them for LNG-fueled container ships.The trend is continuing this week with CSSC subsidiary…
The Technology Pathways that Lead to Fuel Cells
In an article by Rhonda Moniz published this week on MarineLink, Siemens sales executive Ed Schwarz noted the flexibility provided by an electric distribution “backbone” that enables ferry operators to add more batteries, switch to new fuels or become 100% emission free with fuel cells.A string of deliveries reported this week demonstrate that steps are being taken along this pathway for a range of vessels:The hull of Lithuania’s first green hydrogen and electricity-powered ship was launched by the Klaipėda State Seaport Authority.
Zero-carbon Ammonia for Shipping Faces Cost, Safety Challenges
At one of the world's biggest bulk export ports in Western Australia, shippers safely completed the first transfer of ammonia from one vessel to another last month, a key test for its adoption as a marine fuel in the push for cleaner energy.The first cargo ships powered by ammonia are set to enter service in 2026, one of several alternatives the industry is tapping to shrink a carbon footprint that contributes nearly 3% of global emissions.But ammonia faces major cost and safety hurdles as a shipping fuel compared to liquefied natural gas (LNG)…
PowerCell Reports Large Order for Its Marine Fuel Cells
Sweden-based PowerCell Group announced it has signed one of the world’s largest orders of marine fuel cell systems to date with a Italian marine OEM manufacturer. The order value is approximately SEK 165 million (US$16.3 million) and the deliveries will begin in the middle of 2025 and be completed by the end of the year.The order is in three parts and consists of 56 units of the Marine System 225 in total where the majority will be installed on commercial cruise ships. The fuel cell systems will provide auxiliary power to a ship’s internal electricity systems, totaling more than 6.3 MW.
Maersk Urges Government Support for Shipping's Zero-emissions Push
The Alette Maersk was the first container vessel powered by low-carbon methanol fuel to cross the Pacific Ocean - a milestone in the shipping industry's effort to reduce its climate impact.But when the 1,148-foot (350-meter) vessel arrived at the Port of Los Angeles from China last week, there was nowhere in the U.S. to buy more of the green fuel, forcing it to rely heavily on petroleum-based maritime fuel for the return trip.At a day-long ship naming event on Tuesday, A.P. Moller…
US Harbor Craft: Measuring Opportunity for Zero Emissions
There are more than 4,000 harbor craft vessels in the U.S. deemed highly suited for zero-emissions operations, according to a recent report produced by CALSTART in partnership with Intelatus Global Partners.The report - “Sizing the U.S. and California Harbor Craft Market” - looked at the U.S. commercial harbor craft and inland and nearshore vessels above 600 kilowatts (kW) or 805 brake horsepower. Approximately 10,000 vessels were counted in total, including crew and supply boats…
Maritime Partners, USCG Ink Design Basis Agreement for Innovative Hydrogen One Towboat
The developer of an innovative towboat engineered to run on hydrogen generator technology has signed a Design Basis Agreement (DBA) with the U.S. Coast Guard, helping to clear the regulatory path toward the vessel's eventual entry into service.The first-of-its-kind vessel, Hydrogen One, is being produced by Maritime Partners, the Metairie, La.-based maritime financing company that unveiled plans for the groundbreaking towboat in 2021.Designed by Seattle-based Elliott Bay Design Group…
Norway's Myklebust Verft to Build World's Largest Hydrogen Ferries
Norwegian shipyard Myklebust Verft has been selected to build a pair of innovative hydrogen-powered passenger ferries ordered by Norwegian transport company Torghatten Nord.The design, produced by The Norwegian Ship Design Company for operations in the challenging waters of the Vestfjordstrekninga fjord in the Arctic Circle, received approval in principle (AIP) in August 2022 from Lloyd's Register, who has signed on to class the first-of-their-kind vessels.At 117 meters long with a 120-car capacity…
ITOCHU Working with Amogy to Explore Ammonia Fuel for Vessels
Ammonia-to-power solutions provider Amogy announced it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Japan-based global trading and import/export company ITOCHU Corporation to explore the potential application of Amogy’s technology on ITOCHU’s maritime vessels.Amogy has developed a modularized system that transforms liquid ammonia into electrical power. This innovative technology involves “cracking” liquid ammonia into its base elements of hydrogen and nitrogen. The hydrogen is then funneled into a fuel cell for efficient generation of electricity onboard a vessel.
Researchers Warn on Eutrophication Potential of Ammonia
Switching to ammonia as a marine fuel could create new problems, according to a new study undertaken by researchers from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden.The researchers carried out life cycle analyses for batteries and for three electro-fuels (hydrogen, methanol and ammonia). Eutrophication and acidification are some of the environmental problems that can be traced to the use of ammonia – as well as emissions of laughing gas (N2O), which is a very potent greenhouse gas.Ammonia (NH3) is a carbon-free fuel and has the advantage of a higher energy density than, for example, hydrogen.
BC Ferries Awards Shipyard Contract for New Hybrid Electric Vessels
Canada's BC Ferries announced Dutch shipbuilding conglomerate Damen Shipyards Group has been selected to build its four new hybrid electric Island Class vessels.Damen, the same shipbuilder that built BC Ferries’ previous six Island Class ferries between 2020 and 2022, will construct the vessels in Romania, after its bid was selected from among several proposals received from around the world. No Canadian companies bid for the build program, BC Ferries said.The agreement is a design-build…
Workboat Power: Alternatives Join Diesel to Power Current—and Future—Vessels
Analysts and commentators are quick to point out that fossil fuels will power maritime equipment, and indeed dominate the fueling marketplace, well into the future. However, they will do so alongside new fuels, and new technologies, that will be introduced to the maritime sector in the coming years. In its September, 2023 report “Beyond the Horizon: View of the Emerging Energy Value Chains”, the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) explains that, “During the recent 80th meeting of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 80)…
Scandlines Launches Zero Emissions Ferry
Scandlines’ new zero direct emissions freight ferry has been launched at the Cemre Shipyard in Turkey.The ferry will be name Futura and deployed on the Fehmarn Belt between Germany and Denmark (Puttgarden-Rødby) in 2024. It will have a 10MWh energy storage system, the world's largest lithium-ion battery bank to date, which has been supplied by Swiss manufacturer, Leclanché.The 8.6 meter high ferry charger tower, developed by the German company, StemmannTechnik, is being prepared for installation at ferry berth 3 in Denmark’s Rødbyhavn.
SWITCH Maritime Raises $10 Million to Grow Its Green Ferry Fleet
SWITCH Maritime announced plans to grow its U.S. fleet of zero-emission ferries following the completion of a $10 million in a Series A round led by Nexus Development Capital.Founded in 2018, SWITCH’s mission is to enable private and public municipal ferry operators to more easily replace their carbon-intensive, diesel-powered fleets while reducing operating and fueling costs over the lifetime of their vessels.The fundraise comes on the back of the completion of its flagship zero-emission vessel…
Inside Wärtsilä’s Sustainable Technology Hub
“If we are to state our strategy in one word, it’s decarbonization,” said Juha Kytölä, director of R&D and engineering at Finnish tech company Wärtsilä. “What we are going toward is to supply the market with a portfolio of products that are ready for zero-carbon fuels.”In order to achieve its sustainability goals—including a 2030 target for carbon neutrality in its own operations—Wärtsilä has been taking big strides in research and development, having ramped up its investment on this front in recent years, Kytölä said.
Yanmar Delivers Its First Maritime Hydrogen Fuel Cell System
Yanmar Power Technology Co., Ltd. (Yanmar PT), a subsidiary of Yanmar Holdings Co., Ltd, has made its first delivery of its newly commercialized maritime hydrogen fuel cell system, introduced in August 2023. This system was supplied to the passenger ship Hanaria, operated by MOTENA-Sea, a company backed by Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. and other investors.The Hanaria is Japan's first hybrid passenger ship to use both hydrogen and biodiesel. The vessel operates with an onboard electric propulsion system that powers the ship’s drive using generated electricity.
ABB's Power, Propulsion, and Automation for Samskip's Hydrogen-powered Container Ships
ABB has won a contract to deliver a power, propulsion, and automation system for two new-built short-sea container ships for Rotterdam-based global logistics company Samskip Group.According to ABB, the vessels will be among the world’s first of their kind to use hydrogen as a fuel. Financial details of the contract were not disclosed. Built by India-based Cochin Shipyard, the 135-meter ships are due for delivery in Q3 and Q4 of 2025, respectively. Both vessels will be operating between Oslo Fjord and Rotterdam, a distance of approximately 700 nautical miles.