ALT. FUELS
France's First Hydrogen-Powered Inland Cargo Vessel Enters Service
The Sogestran Group has commissioned France's first-ever hydrogen-powered river vessel, the Zulu 06.
The 55-meter vessel, formally christened on the Seine in Paris on Tuesday, has a cargo capacity of 400 tons. It is designed to deliver small deck cargoes for customers in the urban environment of Paris. It was designed by LMG Marin with a power system supplied by ABB Marine & Ports, with two 200 kW hydrogen fuel cells delivered by Ballard. It carries 300 kilos of compressed hydrogen, which is enough for seven days of operation between refills. The system is the first of its kind in France, and the operator hopes to demonstrate a new, clean business model for transporting goods by water in a large city.
"With the launch of the Zulu 06, we witness a major breakthrough for river transport and the energy transition in France," said François Durovray, the French Minister of Transport, who attended the vessel's inauguration. "This project is a prime example of European cooperation and synergy between public and private stakeholders for green mobility."
The project came from the EU-funded FLAGSHIPS initiative, a six-year program dedicated to advancing zero-emission waterborne transport. Construction was carried out in Romania, followed by propulsion system outfitting in France.
"While the hydrogen industry is still maturing, every innovation like the Zulu 06 accelerates its democratization, ultimately building a robust value chain," said Pascal Girardet, Chairman and CEO of the Sogestran Group.
The next vessel in the FLAGSHIPS program is the FPS Waal, operated by Future Proof Shipping. The Waal is a conversion project to turn a conventional inland container feeder into a zero-emissions vessel for operations on the Rhine.
Two Startups Plan to Run an Offshore Ammonia Plant on Wave Power
Ocean energy startups SwitcH2 and CorPower Ocean are developing an industrial-scale floating green ammonia production facility that will use wave energy to generate clean power.
The project, supported by Norway-based BW Offshore and Dutch Oceans Capital, will be based on a newly constructed vessel comparable in size to a VLCC or an FPSO. The facility will house a 300MW electrolysis plant and is expected to produce about 300,000 tonnes of green ammonia per year, reaching full output by 2029. The product will be stowed on board, then transported to shore by shuttle tanker.
Backed by grant funding from the Dutch Government's GroenvermogenNL TSE (Top Sector Energie) scheme, the project will be located in northern Portugal and will use CorPower Ocean's wave energy technology. The collaboration aims to demonstrate wave energy's capability to provide continuous industrial-scale power, and CorPower says that its system is ready. Its fourth-generation device survived four major Atlantic storms in 2023, setting a new survivability record in 60-foot swells during Storm Domingos off Portugal.
Green ammonia is a key future fuel for shipping, and hydrogen-based green fuels will be in short supply in the early years of the green transition. An offshore wave-powered ammonia plant would tap an unused energy resource, producing fuel without competing with shoreside industries for market supplies of clean electricity.
SwitcH2 is backed by BW Offshore, an FPSO market leader. Director and co-founder Saskia Kunst said that in addition to the project off Portugal, the company is exploring other opportunities in West Africa and the Dutch sector of the North Sea.
The partnership comes on the heels of CorPower Ocean's recent successful Series B1 funding round, which secured $34 million - a significant investment in wave energy technology.
Construction Study Starts for Larger, Elevated Pressure LCO2 Carrier
As efforts continue to develop the anticipated carbon capture and transport market for storage, a new project continues to advance a promising technology called Elevated Pressure which could be more efficient and less costly for LCO2 transport. Japan’s NYK Group and its partnership Knutsen NYK Carbon Carriers reported they will conduct a joint “constructionability study” toward the goal of developing the new carrier.
“While CCS is still in its developmental stage in terms of technology and market structure, the joint study of the LCO2-EP terminal-to-terminal vessel with KNCC and NYK is an important step for us to bring one of the viable options to the market,” said Tomoaki Takahira, Director, Chief of Design Division for Nihon Shipyard, a joint venture for ship design and sales between Imabari Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. and Japan Marine United Corporation. “In addition to medium-pressure and low-pressure vessels, we will continue to study the construction of LCO2-EP vessels to contribute to the establishment of the CCS value chain.”
NYK and Knutsen Group of Norway launched a joint venture company at the beginning of 2022 for the commercial development of liquified CO2 marine transport and storage. Knutsen has developed innovative technologies that would allow the transport of LCO2 at ambient temperatures.
Earlier this year, Knutsen NYK Carbon Carriers working with NYK and JX Nippon Oil & Gas demonstrated a technology based on the isenthalpic expansion cooling and liquefaction process which utilizes the characteristics of the elevated pressure method that stores and transports liquefied CO2 at ambient temperature. They emphasize the technology has the potential to be more efficient than conventional liquefaction conditions and methods and requires up to 20 percent less energy. They point out the technology would be more compact.
Cutaway shows the innovative storage which would make the vessel easier to build and more efficient (KNCC)
Among the benefits they highlight of the EP technology is that it provides a greater temperature safety margin than either medium or low pressure from corrosive liquids. They also report it would require 50 percent less energy than medium-pressure shipping and 70 percent less than low-pressure while delivering LCO2 much closer to injection conditions.
The study is exploring a 40,000 cbm terminal-to-terminal LCO2 vessel using EP technology.
“The innovative design of the LCO2-EP Cargo Tanks features vertical cylinders that can be mass-produced through automated processes using standard materials. This may optimize and reduce the construction time,” explains Oliver Hagen-Smith, CEO of Knutsen NYK Carbon Carriers. “The modular design potentially allows more shipyards to participate, utilizing existing facilities and infrastructure, which broadens industry engagement and enhances efficiency. We are confident that this study will bring significant benefits in cost-effectiveness, quality, and scalability to the maritime construction sector.”
The first dedicated LCO2 carrier Northern Pioneer is smaller in capacity and uses a low temperature tank (DSIC)
Currently, there is only one dedicated LCO2 carrier completed, the Northern Pioneer, which was delivered last week for Norway’s Northern Lights project. Built in China, the vessel is the first of four and each will have a capacity of 7,500 cbm. Each is equipped with two full-pressure C-type liquid cargo tanks made of special materials for transporting carbon dioxide, with a maximum bearing pressure of 19barg and can withstand low temperatures of -35 ?. They are designed to transport captured CO2 from Northern Europe to the holding and processing plant in Norway before being pumped through pipes to storage under the North Sea.
The industry continues to look for larger-volume vessels that could be used over longer distances. It is anticipated to be a new large segment of the shipping industry that will be developed over the remainder of this decade as storage is the solution for hard-to-abate industries.
Trial Agreement with MSC and Cargill
[By: Quadrise]
Quadrise Plc (AIM: QED), the supplier of innovative energy solutions for a cleaner planet, is delighted to announce the signature of a Collaboration and Operational Trial Agreement (the "Project Agreement") with MSC Shipmanagement Ltd ("MSC") and Cargill NV ("Cargill"), paving the way for the long-awaited vessel trials on board the MSC Leandra (the "Trials").
Further to the Company's announcement of 10 July 2024, and under the Project Agreement, Quadrise, MSC and Cargill have agreed their respective obligations under which the Company's fuels, bioMSAR™ and MSAR®, will be produced at the MAC2 facility in Antwerp, Belgium using feedstocks supplied by Cargill and then sold by Cargill to MSC for the Trials.
The parties to the Project Agreement will use their reasonable endeavours to contribute towards the successful Trials and to receipt of a final Letter of No Objection from Wärtsilä following 4,000 hours of bioMSAR™ testing, with:
- Quadrise providing equipment, additives and technical expertise; and
- MSC providing the trial vessel, MSC Leandra, necessary flag state approvals for the Trials and procuring professional monitoring services for the Trials; and
- Cargill providing the necessary feedstocks, transportation of fuels and operational and logistical support.
MAC2 have already received the required operating permits for installation of Quadrise equipment and have prepared the site. Following signature of the Project Agreement, final work to enable Quadrise equipment to be delivered to the MAC2 site can now be completed, enabling the Trials to commence before end Q1 2025.
In parallel, bilateral agreements, including a toll manufacturing agreement between Cargill and Quadrise in respect of fuel manufacture, can be finalised now that the outline commercial terms have been agreed in the Project Agreement.
Upon successful conclusion of the Trials, MSC, Cargill and Quadrise will negotiate and enter into a definitive long-term Commercial Agreement.
The Project Agreement will expire on the sooner of: (1) One year following completion of the Trials; (2) Commencement of a Commercial Agreement.
Commenting on this agreement Jason Miles, CEO of Quadrise, said: "Quadrise is delighted to have signed this pivotal agreement with MSC and Cargill, which triggers the process for the trials to get underway. We are hugely excited to be partnering with world-leading Companies to demonstrate the commercial viability and environmental benefits of our technology and the contribution it can make to decarbonisation of the shipping sector. Having already successfully demonstrated MSAR® on the trial vessel, we are highly confident of a successful trial result on bioMSAR™ and the substantial commercial opportunities that this will lead to."
About the MSC Vessel Trials
The Trials will be carried out on the MSC Leandra, previously used for prior successful MSAR® demonstrations, following the installation and commissioning of Quadrise equipment at the MAC2 facility in Antwerp, Belgium and are expected to commence before end Q1 2025.
The Trials will commence with Proof of Concept ('POC') tests using MSAR® and bioMSAR™. Each POC Trial is estimated to require around 1,000 metric tons ("MT") of fuel to confirm engine performance on the vessel.
Subject to positive results from the POC Trials, the fuels will undergo subsequent trials to provide commercial operating experience with a view to obtaining Letters of No Objection ("LONOs") from the engine manufacturer after confirming the operational viability of bioMSAR™ and MSAR® at both an interim (midway) and final stage (after circa 4,000 operating hours). During the LONOs it is planned that barge deliveries of up to 1,500MT of Quadrise fuels will be supplied to the MSC vessel every 4-6 weeks for the Trials, over a period of 6-8 months.
Upon completion of the Trials and receipt of the LONO, or when sufficient progress has been demonstrated to the satisfaction of MSC, Cargill and Quadrise (the "Parties"), the Parties plan to conclude long-term commercial agreements within three months of achieving this milestone.
Additionally, MSC and Quadrise will continue discussions with other marine engine suppliers to investigate testing bioMSAR™ and MSAR® on their engines and will also explore opportunities to test the Quadrise Blend-on-Board solution which will open up new possibilities for tramping vessels and provide additional flexibility on bioMSAR™ supply.
The products and services herein described in this press release are not endorsed by The Maritime Executive.
India Adopts UK Electric-Propulsion Tech for Next Series of Amphibs
India is tapping the UK’s expertise in design and development of electric propulsion systems for its planned new fleet of Landing Platform Docks (LPDs). Last week in Portsmouth, the Ministries of Defense of India and UK signed a cooperation agreement that will see the two countries partner in production of integrated electric propulsion systems for warships, a niche shipbuilding technology.
“The cooperation enables co-design, co-creation and co-production of cutting-edge technology for future naval ships, including the planned LPDs,” said India’s Ministry of Defense.
In 2021, the Indian Navy issued a request for information (RFI) regarding its plans to procure four LPDs. The tender was limited to Indian shipyards as the vessels are to be built locally under the Make-in-India program. However, a distinct feature of the vessels is the Integrated Electric Propulsion (IEP) system, which is currently not built in India. Since 2019, the UK has been discussing sharing technical expertise and experience with India on IEP systems.
India has signaled it favors using IEP in its future vessels, as the focus on cleaner and efficient propulsion systems gains traction. India’s home-built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant uses an IEP system for propulsion, but at the time of construction, the system was imported.
The UK-based Rolls-Royce has previously expressed interest in partnering with the Indian Navy in electrification of future warships.
“As India envisions the fleet of the future, our commitment to support the country’s defense modernization remains strong as ever. We believe we can bring immense experience and value to any future program envisioned by the Indian Navy for developing electric warships,” said Kishore Jayaraman, President of India and South Asia, Rolls-Royce. Kishore was speaking in 2021 during the UK’s Carrier Strike Group tour to India.
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