Keeping Safe

As hydrogen fuel cell projects move from pilot scale towards early commercial deployment, safety and regulatory clarity are becoming as important as technical performance. Recent guidance updates and new industrial collaborations underline both the momentum behind fuel cells in shipping and the caution that continues to shape their adoption.

Lloyd’s Register has published the 2025 edition of its Guidance Notes on Fuel Cells onboard Ships. The update reflects regulatory progress around the safe integration of fuel cells in marine environments, at a time when more projects are moving beyond demonstration and into detailed design. Industry observers generally agree that such guidance is a prerequisite for scaling fuel cell applications, particularly on larger vessels where power demand, redundancy and risk management requirements are more complex.

The revised guidance expands on system design, hazard identification, fuel storage interfaces and integration with conventional shipboard power systems. While the document does not mandate technology choices, it provides a clearer framework for designers, shipowners and yards assessing hydrogen fuel cells as part of future newbuilds or retrofit programmes. This is expected to reduce uncertainty during approval-in-principle discussions and class reviews, a recurring bottleneck cited by project developers over recent years.

Moving towards megawatt scale
Regulatory progress is coinciding with renewed industrial activity aimed at increasing the power output of marine fuel cells. ABB and HDF Energy have signed a joint development agreement to develop a high-power fuel cell unit for marine applications. The project targets megawatt-scale installations suitable for large seagoing vessels, including container feeder ships and liquefied hydrogen carriers.

The agreement builds on an earlier memorandum of understanding signed in 2020 and reflects a shared view that fuel cells must reach higher power levels to be commercially relevant beyond niche segments. Pilot installations are foreseen in the 2028 to 2029 timeframe, with serial production envisaged from 2030. While timelines remain indicative, the partners describe the collaboration as a significant step towards making fuel cells a viable option for deep-sea shipping.

Under the arrangement, France-based HDF will provide the fuel cell technology, drawing on its experience in large-format fuel cell systems, while ABB will supply power converters, power management systems and electrical and control integration. The two companies will also collaborate on technical specifications, conceptual design and commercial development.