Yanmar’s hydrogen fuel cell maritime tech gets green lighted by ClassNK
The approval is a landmark achievement for the maritime industry.
Japanese company Yanmar Power Technology (YPT) has received AiP (Approval in Principle) certification for its maritime hydrogen fuel cell (HFC) system, marking the first time a Japanese manufacturer has been granted AiP certification for this type of system.
Yanmar’s system has been designed to provide easy installation on ships.
Yanmar developed its 300 kilowatt (kW) maritime hydrogen fuel cell system with key auxiliary components. Among these include gas valve units which are integrated within the system enclosure. The purpose of this design is to make it easy for ships to install the H2 system.
Additionally, Yanmar’s innovative system makes it possible for multiple units to be parallelly connected and adjustments can be made to the number of hydrogen fuel cell modules. This allows the flexible system to adapt to the requirements of various ship power outputs.
The company initially launched its H2 system back in August of last year (2023). Later, in November, it made the first delivery of its newly commercialized maritime HFC system to a MOTENA-Sea’s passenger ship called the HANARIA.
The hydrogen fuel cell system underwent a rigorous review process.
According to ClassNK, it carried out a review of Yanmar’s maritime hydrogen fuel cell system in line with its guidelines. These comprehensive guidelines include a thorough examination of test results and risk assessment.
Credit: Photo by depositphotos.com
Satisfied that the company met all prescribed requirements, the classification society confirmed the system’s compliance and issued the AiP.
ClassNK’s “Guidelines for Fuel Cell Power Systems On Board Ships (Second Edition)” is based on IMO’s interim guidelines and relevant IEC standards. The ClassNK guidelines specify safety requirements for the design of vessels using fuel cell power installations and the systems themselves, with the aim to promote and expand the use of fuel cell in ships.
New maritime hydrogen tech in development.
Its recent AiP certified hydrogen fuel cell system is not the only H2 tech Yanmar has been working on for the maritime industry.
Additionally, the company reportedly has begun developing a hydrogen-fueled 4-stroke high-speed engine for power generation for costal ships in Japan. The development of this tech is part of the Nippon Foundation’s zero-emission ship demonstration experiment.
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