A Japanese consortium has been jointly awarded what is thought to be the first Approval in Principle (AiP) for a ship equipped with a large low-speed two-stroke hydrogen-fueled engine as the main propulsion engine.
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), MOL Drybulk, Onomichi Dockyard, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Japan Engine Corporation (J-ENG) received the AiP from ClassNK for their parcel layout concept for a hydrogen-fueled multi-purpose vessel, which will be built by Onomichi and owned/operated by MOL. The demonstration project will commence in 2027 and run for two years as part of the ‘Development of marine hydrogen engines and MHFS 1’ which was adopted by Green Innovation Funding Program of the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).
ClassNK’s review of the parcel layout concept for the MHFS [Marine Hydrogen Fuel Tank and Fuel Supply System] is based on its rules including part GF of its ‘Rules and Guidance for the Survey and Construction of Steel Ships’ incorporating the IGF Code and risk assessment results through Pre-HAZID*2. The class society will contribute to the further consideration of the project for demonstration operation from the perspective of safety evaluation as part of its commitment towards decarbonisation.
MOL, MOL Drybulk and J-ENG first announced an agreement to cooperate on a low-speed hydrogen-fuelled engine in late 2021. In May this year it was revealed by J-ENG that testing had begun on a hydrogen fuel injection device for a two-stroke engine.
