COP29: Bunker Holding will tap into green hydrogen

Bunker Holding has announced plans to invest in green hydrogen bunkering infrastructure.

CONCEPT: Green hydrogen storage tank. Getty Images

In addition, the company has committed to establishing standards for safely bunkering green hydrogen as a marine fuel.

The company is focused on “expanding and intensifying our efforts in the energy transition with the ambition to facilitate the decarbonisation of the shipping industry,” said Keld Demant, chief executive of Bunker Holding Group.

Specific details regarding this plan, including which ports it will target and the timeline for implementation, have not yet been disclosed.

Green hydrogen is one of the cleanest fuels available for decarbonising smaller vessels. But it has yet to make a technological breakthrough to power large ocean-going vessels.

This is because most fuel cells rely on PEM technology. PEM fuel cells require a constant supply of hydrogen to generate power. High costs and challenges associated with storing large quantities of hydrogen onboard vessels make PEM fuel cells expensive and impractical for long-distance voyages.

Larger vessels will need high-efficiency fuel cells for longer voyages, such as solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). Since SOFC technology in marine applications is still at a nascent stage, it may take some time before ocean-going vessels can fully transition to hydrogen propulsion.

Engine manufacturers such as Germany’s MAN Energy Solutions and Japan’s Japan Engine Corporation (J-ENG) are also working on hydrogen-powered internal combustion engines to power larger vessels, but the development is still in its infancy.

By Konica Bhatt

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