South Korean fuel cell firm Vinssen has launched South Korea‘s first hydrogen-fuel cell-powered vessel.

The Hydro Zenith has been developed under the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries‘ interim standards, the company said in a LinkedIn post last week.

The leisure boat uses a hybrid setup with two 100 kW hydrogen fuel cells and four 92 kWh battery packs.

The launch was held on December 18 at the company’s test facility in Yeongam, with the sea trials now planned.

While fuel cell systems have been demonstrated on smaller vessels operating on shorter routes, they have yet to see commercial-scale deployment on large ships.

Alongside the vessel launch, the company showcased its 100 kW and 250 kW marine hydrogen fuel cell systems, both of which are currently undergoing type approval.

Vinssen is also involved in the development of an ammonia-fuelled tanker concept powered entirely by fuel cells.