Hydrogen fuel cells for cargo ships are the goal for this Korean collab

Hanwha Aerospace and Hanwha Ocean are working together to develop clean transport tech

Hanwha Group affiliates Hanwha Aerospace and Hanwha Ocean have announced a collaboration in which they intend to jointly develop hydrogen fuel cells for use in ships.

The project is a part of a government-backed green energy strategy

The announcement was made that the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy in South Korea had selected the collaboration to run a research and development project for 200-kilowatt-class hydrogen fuel cells to be used in power packs installed on ships. “We will expand the technology we acquired through the development of hydrogen fuel cells for aviation into the maritime sector,” said Hanwha Aerospace head of electric propulsion system division Moon Seung-hak in a recent news release.

The goal is to use hydrogen fuel cells in a clean shipping market

The project is a part of South Korea’s broader effort to step into the global clean ship market by bringing together the technology, resources, and expertise of both the shipbuilding company and the aerospace company.  These two areas are expected to meet neatly for the development of the new technology that can help to clean up one of the most highly polluting segments of the transport industry. “By synergizing with the clean ocean technology from Hanwha Ocean, we plan to develop the world's top-notch hydrogen fuel cells for ships and provide carbon-free ship solutions,” explained Moon.

Not their first rodeo

Though this is a new collaboration for Hanwha Aerospace and Hanwha Ocean, this is far from the first time they have worked together.  They have previously partnered in the development of energy storage systems (ESS) at the megawatt-hour class.  Those units can function in applications such as large liquefied natural gas carriers (LNGCs), as well as very large crude carriers (VLCCs). Shipbuilders in Korea have already been looking to hydrogen fuel cells and related technology to help reduce the emissions resulting from their industry. Three years ago, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries entered into a partnership with Australian mobility tech firm AVL.  Together, they have been working on the development of H2 units to be installed in ships.  Their target is to have this technology ready before the close of next year.