San Francisco, CA | November 3, 2025 – Newlight, a pioneer in maritime hydrogen fuel solutions, has successfully completed Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) for its cutting-edge hydrogen retrofit package for two-stroke and four-stroke main engines. This milestone represents a critical step from prototype to ship-ready installation, enabling greater fuel efficiency and significantly lower emissions on existing diesel-powered vessels.
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Turning Diesel Engines into Hydrogen-Blend Powerhouses
The innovative system allows conventional diesel engines to operate on a blend of hydrogen and conventional fuel, reducing carbon emissions without costly engine replacements. This retrofit provides shipowners with a practical, scalable solution to adopt cleaner operations on in-service fleets, bridging today’s fuel infrastructure with a sustainable maritime future.
RINA-Approved Safety and Performance Validated
Designed in compliance with the International Code of Safety for Ships Using Gases or Other Low-flashpoint Fuels (IGF Code) and validated against RINA Class Rules, the FAT verified:
- Safety layers
- Control and monitoring logic
- Electrical integration
- Engine behavior under real-world duty profiles
Testing spanned shore-based four-stroke gensets and two-stroke main propulsion engines aboard a yacht during sea trials. Results demonstrated precise hydrogen-blend injection, rock-solid load tracking, continuous thermal and emissions monitoring, and instant changeover between hydrogen and conventional fuel, ensuring no operational downtime.
“This milestone shows our hydrogen systems behave exactly as a ship operator expects — clear states, consistent responses, and conservative safety margins,” said Haran Cohen Hillel, Co-Founder & CEO, Newlight. “Ship operators will immediately see less fuel consumption per nautical mile and lower emissions, with no downtime or sacrifice in performance. The system is designed for real-world engine rooms and is ready to move from factory floor to vessel..”
The four-day FAT program exercised the full operating sequence of the hydrogen injection system, verifying predictable state transitions, layered safety mechanisms, and effective emergency responses, including fire and leak detection.
“What excites me most is the discipline in our controls and safety stack. Every step, from venting to injection, is validated, logged, and recoverable. Operators get straightforward modes, dependable changeover to conventional fuel, and a retrofit that integrates seamlessly into existing machinery, requiring no vessel modifications,” said Evyatar Cohen, Co-Founder, Newlight.
Partnerships Drive Success
Newlight collaborated with lomarlabs, Lomar, and AURELIA to ensure integration, optimized layouts, and class-compliant approval.
“The FAT results show a robust, safety-focused solution. Detection, ventilation, segregation, and shutdown functions align closely with IGF Code safety goals. This successful phase brings us closer to fully integrated hydrogen systems that meet strict international marine regulations.” said Patrizio Di Francesco, RINA.
“Newlight demonstrates why lomarlabs exists—bringing bold ideas from concept to shipboard reality. Our role is to provide access to expertise, experience, and operational ships, enabling technologies to advance rapidly from whiteboard to the sea.,” said Stylianos Papageorgiou, lomarlabs.
“Newlight’s technology stands out for innovation and robustness. Our team ensured engineering design integration, including interfaces, layouts, routing, and commissioning plans, making the package fully ship-ready. This milestone reflects a united effort across multiple companies.” said Raffaele Frontera, CEO, AURELIA.
Why This Matters for the Maritime Industry
The maritime sector faces urgent pressure to reduce emissions from existing fleets. Newlight’s verified retrofit solution:
- Extends the life of existing marine engines
- Avoids costly full powertrain replacements
- Delivers immediate fuel savings and efficiency gains
- Facilitates adoption of hydrogen-blend fuels within current infrastructure
With Harbor Acceptance Testing (HAT) and the first vessel installation imminent, Newlight is focusing on repeatable integration, standardized interfaces, and clear commissioning playbooks to accelerate adoption.
Newlight Project Partners
About Newlight
Newlight develops advanced hydrogen fuel solutions to accelerate the maritime industry’s transition to cleaner energy. The company specializes in retrofitting conventional diesel engines to operate on hydrogen blends, enabling shipowners to reduce emissions, improve fuel efficiency, and achieve sustainable operations without replacing entire powertrains.
Founded with a mission to make economically viable and technically practical decarbonization accessible to existing fleets, Newlight collaborates closely with shipowners, technology innovators, and engineering partners to deploy solutions that work in real-world operations. Its hydrogen retrofit packages are IGF Code-compliant, RINA-class approved, and ready for commercial installation, bridging the gap between today’s fuel infrastructure and the long-term goal of zero-emission vessels.
About RINA
RINA is a global leader in certification, classification, and engineering services, with expertise spanning Energy, Marine, Infrastructure, Mobility, Certification, Industry, and Real Estate. With 6,600 employees across 200 offices in 70 countries, RINA ensures that innovative technologies meet international safety standards and regulatory requirements.
In the Newlight project, RINA provided independent verification and approval of hydrogen retrofit safety, control systems, and operational reliability, supporting FAT and upcoming Harbor Acceptance Testing (HAT). Their involvement ensures the retrofit solutions are compliant with IGF Code safety objectives and ready for integration on commercial vessels.
About lomarlabs and Lomar
lomarlabs is a maritime innovation accelerator created by Lomar to bring cutting-edge technologies from concept to operational reality. Drawing on 50 years of fleet management experience, lomarlabs provides startups and innovators with access to ships, engineering expertise, and operational insights, enabling fast testing and iteration of solutions at sea.
Lomar is a global ship-owning and ship management group with a diversified fleet of bulk carriers and chemical tankers. Through lomarlabs, Lomar supports the development of decarbonization, automation, and digitalization technologies, bridging the gap between experimental ideas and commercially viable maritime solutions.
In the Newlight project, lomarlabs facilitated practical sea trials, vessel access, and integration support, allowing the hydrogen retrofit system to be tested under real operating conditions before full commercial deployment.
About AURELIA
AURELIA is a leading naval architecture and marine engineering company, specializing in green technology integration for existing and new vessels. The company focuses on solutions including hydrogen, ammonia, biofuel, hybrid propulsion, and WAPS systems, ensuring that innovative fuels can be deployed safely and effectively.
For the Newlight retrofit project, AURELIA provided engineering design integration, including system layouts, routing, and commissioning plans, ensuring the retrofit package was fully ship-ready and compliant with class regulations. Their expertise bridges the gap between conceptual innovation and practical, real-world vessel operations.
“The future of maritime decarbonisation isn’t distant — it’s being engineered now.” – Said AURELIA
Source: AURELIA