A partnership between Hyundai Heavy Industries Group and the world’s largest powertrain company aims to develop hydrogen fuel cells for ships by 2025.
The Hyundai Heavy Industries Group signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with an Austrian powertrain development firm to develop hydrogen fuel cells for ships in 2025 at the Hydrogen Mobility + Show, held at KINTEX in Gyeongggi Province, on the 8th of September.
As key equipment for hydrogen-fueled ships, hydrogen fuel cells offer energy savings of 60% or more over existing internal combustion engines, making them an important component of the hydrogen value chain.
The two companies plan to develop fuel cells with outputs ranging from 200kW to 1.5MW.
Pilot and tugboat propulsion engines on coastal islands in Korea, inland waterways cargo ship propulsion engines, and medium-sized hydrogen carriers may use the fuel cell.
The Hyundai Heavy Industries Group announced Hydrogen Dream 2030 in March, a hydrogen value chain covering both land and sea. Each affiliate is now promoting related businesses with the goal of building an eco-friendly hydrogen ecosystem by 2030.
A 1.2 MW water electrolysis plant will be operated by Hyundai Heavy Industries using wind energy by 2030 to produce green hydrogen, while Hyundai Electric will develop a hydrogen fuel cell package for a green port.
Last year, Korea Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, Hyundai Heavy Industries, and Hyundai Mipo Dockyard acquired the first basic classification for commercial liquefied hydrogen carriers, and started designing international hydrogen ships standards in March. It is developing hydrogen fuel cell propulsion ships and liquid hydrogen tanks to which the hydrogen fuel supply system is applied.
By the second half of 2022, Hyundai Global Service will develop a hydrogen fuel cell system package for small ships with the goal of replacing existing fossil fuel ships with hydrogen-powered ships.
According to Hyundai Oilbank, it will produce blue hydrogen and sell it as fuel for vehicles and power plants by 2030. The company also plans to build 180 hydrogen charging stations nationwide. It is planning to commercialize hydrogen fuel cell-powered construction equipment by 2023. Hyundai Construction Equipment is currently developing a test model for hydrogen fuel cell construction equipment.
“Building an organic value chain is the most effective way to expand the hydrogen ecosystem”, said Ki-sun Ki-sun, vice president of Hyundai Heavy Industries Group at the H2 Business Summit on the same day. He emphasized the importance of developing an ecosystem for hydrogen.
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