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South Korea’s maritime decarbonization technology specialist Vinssen and Dutch engineering firm MANA Engineering have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to jointly develop a hydrogen fuel cell-based retrofit solution for an 800 TEU feeder container vessel operating in Northern Europe and the Baltic Sea.
The partners plan to initially focus on a comprehensive technical feasibility study and the pursuit of Lloyd’s Register’s (LR) approval in principle (AIP), which will validate the technical concept and establish the framework for a potential pilot retrofit project.
According to Vinssen, the proposed retrofit concept retains the vessel’s existing main propulsion system while replacing hotel loads and auxiliary power with a hybrid system of hydrogen fuel cells and battery energy storage. Hydrogen will be supplied through swappable storage modules, with an integrated control system to enable switching between fuel cells and existing diesel generators.
The system is said to reduce onboard CO2 emissions, supporting compliance with FuelEU Maritime and EU ETS requirements without relying on onshore power supply (OPS), while also improving the vessel’s Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) rating.
The collaboration will combine MANA Engineering’s European experience and regional market access and Vinssen’s fuel cell and battery system technologies, with the goal of evaluating commercial deployment opportunities within the European short-sea shipping segment.
“This agreement represents a practical step toward validating hydrogen retrofit solutions in line with classification requirements and advancing decarbonization options for existing vessels in Europe,” said Chil-Han Lee, CEO of Vinssen.
Dennis Lensing, Managing Director of MANA Engineering, stated: “We look forward to cooperating with our Korean partners during this risk assessment and concept phase, and beyond. Together we will build a strong foundation for potential demonstration and retrofits of this concept in the European markets.”
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