Naval architecture and marine engineering firm Glosten has received an Approval in Principle (AIP) from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) for the design of UC San Diego’s new hydrogen-hybrid Coastal-Class Research Vessel (CCRV).
Set to be operated by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, this vessel will employ hydrogen fuel cells to achieve zero-emissions operation, marking a significant step in sustainable marine research.
Glosten, alongside Siemens Energy (SE), completed the preliminary design for the CCRV in March 2024. The vessel, uninspected, compliant with California Air Resource Board (CARB) standards, and classed by ABS, faced a labyrinthine regulatory framework. The challenge lay in harmonizing the requirements of a modern research vessel with evolving regulations and novel hydrogen fuel technologies.
Robin Madsen, Glosten’s lead marine engineer on the project, emphasized the complexity of integrating hydrogen systems into the vessel’s design. “Ensuring the machinery spaces and hydrogen systems were efficiently and safely arranged without compromising the utility of the vessel was like putting together an intricate puzzle,” Madsen noted. This project demanded innovative problem-solving and close collaboration with regulators and industry partners.
The genesis of the CCRV dates back to a 2018 feasibility study conducted by Glosten, Scripps Oceanography, Sandia National Laboratories, and DNV, funded by the Maritime Administration (MARAD). This study assessed the technical, regulatory, and economic feasibility of the Zero-V concept, a hydrogen-powered vessel designed to meet the performance and environmental criteria set by Scripps.
While the feasibility study affirmed the technical viability of hydrogen-powered vessels, regulatory frameworks for hydrogen fuel use were still evolving. During the CCRV’s preliminary design phase, Glosten collaborated closely with the United States Coast Guard (USCG) and ABS to establish a regulatory approval framework for using liquid hydrogen on a research vessel.
Glosten’s achievement of AIP signifies that the CCRV design meets ABS’s technical requirements and safety standards. This validation is crucial for the broader adoption of hydrogen-fuel-cell propulsion in the maritime industry. Gareth Burton, ABS senior vice president of global engineering, highlighted ABS’s role in supporting this project with their expertise in hydrogen as a marine fuel.
A week-long risk assessment workshop involving USCG, ABS, Scripps, Sandia, SE, Ballard Power Systems, and Chart Industries was pivotal in this process. This collaborative effort ensured that the CCRV design not only met safety standards but also demonstrated the feasibility of hydrogen propulsion for medium-sized coastal vessels.
The CCRV will play a vital role in studying the marine ecosystem along the California coast, operating on emissions-free hydrogen fuel cells for 75 percent of its missions. Bruce Appelgate, associate director of Scripps and head of ship operations and marine technical support, underscored the vessel’s alignment with Scripps’ institutional values of environmental protection.
