Wärtsilä has signed a joint development agreement with Hycamite TCD Technologies, a privately-owned Finnish company.
Hycamite specialises in the development of technology for producing clean hydrogen and solid carbon from methane.
The two companies will work together to enable cost-effective production of hydrogen from LNG on board vessels. The concept design will be ready by mid-2023 and the prototype testing unit will be ready during the second half of 2024.
This concept will allow the existing LNG infrastructure to be utilised and enable production of hydrogen on board in combination with Wärtsilä’s LNGPac fuel gas supply system.
By producing hydrogen on board and blending it with LNG, the current range of Wärtsilä dual-fuel (DF) engines can reduce the vessel’s overall carbon dioxide and methane slip emissions. Alternatively, the hydrogen can also be used in fuel cells on board, the company claimed.
“We are investing in the development of viable future marine fuel technologies and solutions that can accelerate the efforts to de-carbonise shipping operations. This collaboration with Hycamite is an important step forward towards meeting our corporate targets.
“Our gas engines can already operate with mixtures of hydrogen and LNG. The ability to produce the H2 on board opens up exciting new opportunities. This solution overcomes the lack of an existing hydrogen supply infrastructure. It also supports reducing the safety risks around storing and handling of liquid hydrogen and enables a gradual decrease of the vessels’ environmental impact,” explained Mathias Jansson, Director, Fuel Gas Supply Systems, Wärtsilä.
“We are delighted to be partnering with an established technology leader such as Wärtsilä. They bring a vast depth of knowledge and experience in marine fuel gas supply systems, and by working together, we can make the availability and on board storage of hydrogen a realistic option for the marine industry,” added Laura Rahikka, Hycamite founder and CEO.
In Principle, this technology can be applied for all vessels operating with LNG as a fuel. When using bioLNG, this solution will enable power generation on board ships with a negative carbon footprint.
