Samskip LNG Vessel to be Retrofitted with Fuel Cells

TECO 2030, BLOM Maritime and Samskip have received a grant for a pre-project aiming to retrofit Samskip’s vessel Kvitnos with TECO 2030 fuel cells and hydrogen fuel.

The project aims to significantly reduce emissions from this LNG-fueled vessel, which currently operates on a weekly multipurpose service from Rotterdam along most of the Norwegian coastline to Hammerfest.

The goal of the project is to prepare for an investment decision to retrofit Kvitnos. The project also aims to facilitate long-term hydrogen fuel supply contracts due to the vessel’s fixed route.

Blom Maritime will support naval architects, piping engineers and structural engineers to produce the documentation needed to obtain preliminary approval of the fuel cell and hydrogen solution. Blom Maritime has its main expertise in engineering for retrofitting solutions.

Samskip already has one hydrogen powered container vessel under construction as part of the SeaShuttle project.

Samskip Regional Director Norway and Sweden, Are Grathen, said: “With the delivery of our LNG propelled multipurpose vessels back in 2015, Samskip already offered one of the world’s most environmentally friendly cargo ships, which eliminated SOx emissions while drastically reducing NOx and CO2 emissions. With this grant from Enova, and in close cooperation with fuel cell provider TECO 2030 we will continue our endeavor to enable full zero emission propulsion which in turn will further pave the way for our H2-propelled new-builds coming out next year and bring us closer to our net-zero targets for 2040.”