Wärtsilä has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Australia’s Global Energy Ventures (GEV), a firm specializing in compressed shipping solutions for the transportation of energy to regional markets.
The two businesses will collaborate on Wärtsilä propulsion systems being integrated into GEV’s compressed hydrogen (C-H2) ships. The memorandum of understanding was signed in Sydney, Australia.
The collaboration intends to advance GEV’s application for an Approval in Principle (AiP) for its new 430-ton C-H2 vessel. Additionally, it is designed to demonstrate the vessel’s suitability for a highly efficient, low-emissions propulsion system.
“We look forward to working closely with Wärtsilä on this project. We have shown that C-H2 shipping is ideally suited for exporting green hydrogen with a lower delivered cost and having a technology leader such as Wärtsilä with us, we can deliver a shipping solution that is completely sustainable,” says Martin Carolan, CEO, GEV.
“This project is an important steppingstone along the journey towards a decarbonised maritime industry, something that Wärtsilä is fully committed to supporting. We are actively developing propulsion alternatives that can utilise future carbon-neutral fuels, raise efficiency levels, and which significantly improve environmental performance. This agreement with GEV is fully in line with our own ambitions,” says Petteri Saares, Sales Director, Wärtsilä Marine Power.
Compression is a time-tested, straightforward, and efficient way of transferring green hydrogen. Although it is the preferred method of transporting hydrogen by sea, it is sometimes disregarded due to its lower volumetric energy density. The parties to the agreement think that the C-H2 project will overcome technological obstacles and provide a solution that is superior to alternative modes of transport.
