Samskip and Ocean Infinity to develop remotely controlled hydrogen container ship

Dutch logistics firm Samskip has secured NOK 150 million ($15.80 million) in funding from Norwegian state enterprise Enova to build a hydrogen-powered containership that can be remotely operated.

PHOTO: Model of Samskip's 500 TEU remotely controlled container ship, SeaShuttle. Samskip

Samskip and Houston-based marine robotics specialist Ocean Infinity have partnered to develop two 500 TEU remotely controlled hydrogen-powered container ships called SeaShuttle, each powered by 3.2MW hydrogen cells.

Samskip aims to deploy the two container ships by 2025. They will operate between Oslo and Rotterdam, and primarily run on hydrogen with a diesel-electric propulsion plant as back up.

“In line with commitments given at COP26 Clydebank Declaration, SeaShuttle would create what amounted to one of Europe’s first zero-emission green corridors,” Samskip Norway’s chief executive Are Gråthen said.