Ricardo, a global strategic, environmental, and engineering consulting company, has achieved a significant milestone by receiving Approval in Principle (AiP) from Lloyd’s Register (LR) for its pioneering multi-megawatt containerised fuel cell power plant solution. Lloyd’s Register is a leading provider of classification and compliance services to the marine and offshore industries, and this approval highlights Ricardo’s potential to support the maritime sector, a traditionally hard-to-decarbonise industry, in its efforts to reduce carbon emissions.
The advanced technology, developed as part of the Sustainable Hydrogen Powered Shipping (sHYpS) project, showcases Ricardo’s expertise in the hydrogen value chain. The company has been working on this innovative solution that includes the design, build, and testing of a ~500kW gross, 375kW net power fuel cell module (RFC500) and a 40-foot containerised multi-megawatt power plant that integrates several fuel cell modules.
The Approval in Principle from Lloyd’s Register signifies that Ricardo’s technology meets the necessary regulatory standards and can be considered a viable option for broader application in the maritime industry’s decarbonisation efforts. Ricardo is poised to begin testing the RFC500 module and is currently assembling its marine containerisation system at its newly built fuel cell facilities at the Shoreham Technical Centre in the UK.
Jason Oms O’Donnell, Managing Director of Automotive & Industrial at Ricardo, expressed his enthusiasm: “This represents a significant achievement in our progress to support our customers in the maritime industry with the technology to enable them to deliver on their decarbonisation strategies. AiP offers us an opportunity to progress with a roadmap for full regulatory compliance of our containerised solution. It gives confidence for investment and signals that there are no major obstacles to future certification or classification.”
Jason further added, “We are investing in our hydrogen capabilities, and in particular, we are seeing a lot of interest from customers in the maritime, aerospace, and off-highway sectors for the services that we provide. It’s an exciting time to be involved in supporting sustainable mobility, due to the significant changes that are taking place, based on regulatory and legislative requirements. We are very well placed to support our customers with their future decarbonisation journey.”
This accomplishment underscores Ricardo’s commitment to advancing hydrogen technology and supporting the maritime industry’s transition to more sustainable practices. On May 7, 2024, Ricardo announced the expansion of its hydrogen testing capabilities for global clients through significant investment in its Shoreham Technical Centre facilities to develop large-scale marine engine testing.
About sHYpS
sHYpS aims at supporting the decarbonisation of the shipping industry, by leveraging on previous and on-going work and investment made by the consortium members. The project will develop a novel LH2 swappable storage solution, which can be adapted to multiple types of vessels and speed up achieving IMO’s target for 2030 and 2050.
Source Ricardo