Maran Dry to test hydrogen-producing concept on LNG-fuelled bulk carrier

Greek dry bulk shipping company Maran Dry Management has collaborated with Italian classification society RINA and Chinese ship designer SDARI to construct a 210,000 dwt bulk carrier than can run on LNG and LNG-converted hydrogen.

PHOTO: A concept model of RINA’s LNG-powered hydrogen MR tanker. RINA

The tanker's primary fuel, LNG, will be reacted with steam to produce hydrogen and carbon dioxide.

The concept is based on pre-combustion carbon capture principle whereby carbon dioxide is removed from the fuel before combustion is completed. It was trialled on a medium range oil tanker earlier this year.

RINA claims the process is space-efficient and highly scalable in terms of emission reductions. They say it also addresses existing issues with hydrogen bunkering as it requires no onshore hydrogen infrastructure, or supply and storage facilities onboard.

Maran Dry Management managing director Babis Kouvakas believes that the design will enable the vessel to run “on increasing percentages of hydrogen, lowering emissions over time, to meet the increasingly stringent rating thresholds towards 2050.”

It is “an exciting design that enables shipowners to work towards IMO 2050 with confidence, as it does not rely on the availability of new fuels or additional technological developments to maintain the ship’s A rating going forward,” SDARI’s chief engineer Wang GangYi says.

By Tuhin Roy

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