Launched in 2023, Ship-aH2oy aims to develop and demonstrate an innovative zero-emission power solution for ships based on Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carrier (LOHC) and fuel cell technology.

The main reason for the suspension is to allow time to secure LOHC supply at a predictable cost and availability in the required scale for the demonstration onboard a commercial vessel. The supply chain has taken longer to mature than anticipated, and while important developments are underway, the expected timeline does not align with the original project schedule for Ship-aH2oy. 

The temporary suspension of the project gives project partners time to further develop the LOHC infrastructure for maritime applications and secure LOHC availability – first for power system verification and later for vessel operations with frequent refueling.

The suspension also allows time to develop and validate the technology concept at a pilot scale before the full-scale demonstration, and to secure long-term financing. 

These developments will provide a basis for the shipowner, technology suppliers, and their partners to move forward with a tangible plan toward the onboard installation and demonstration of the power system to enable zero-emission maritime operations. 

Initial results provide foundation for future progress 

In the initial phase of the project, research and industry partners have made substantial progress on defining and refining the LOHC-FC concept for maritime application. Among other things, this work has focused on 

• studying the quality of hydrogen from LOHC and its suitability for fuel cell systems 

• validating the suitability of the LOHC-FC concept to marine conditions 

• defining the safety philosophy for LOHC and hydrogen systems onboard 

• developing thermal management strategies and solutions for waste heat recovery 

• preparing detailed designs and technical specifications for subsystems 

The work done so far has confirmed that the LOHC-FC concept is a promising and viable option for maritime decarbonisation and provides a foundation for the future installation and demonstration of the technology. The suspension is thus not due to any technical challenges that have been identified in the project. 

Partners remain committed to resuming implementation of the project and are actively seeking solutions to overcome the current challenges. 

For more information or to discuss opportunities for collaboration, please contact:

• Markus Rautanen, VTT, Project Coordinator for Ship-aH2oy: markus.rautanen@vtt.fi  
• Øystein Skår, General Manager, Hydrogenious LOHC Maritime: oystein.skar@hydrogenious-maritime.com
• Runar Bjørkvik Mæland, Maritime CleanTech, Head of Communications for Ship-aH2oy: runar@maritimecleantech.no