Bloom Energy stated that the two companies will work together to achieve their dream of renewable power for ships and a more sustainable marine shipping industry.

“By signing this joint development agreement, SHI has a plan to develop eco-friendly ships that will lead the future of the industry,” said Mr. Haeki Jang, vice president of shipbuilding & drilling sales engineering at Samsung Heavy Industry.

In 2022, SHI and Bloom Energy plan to present the concept to prospective customers. The two companies expect the market for Bloom Energy Servers on SHI ships to grow to 300 megawatts annually after commercialization.

"This joint development work aligns with the International Maritime Organization’s mandate to meet emissions reduction targets by 2050. Because the fuel cells create electricity through an electrochemical reaction, without combusting the fuel, these ships would be able to improve air quality with a reduction of particulate emissions, including NOx and SOx, by more than 99 percent, and shrink carbon emissions," Bloom Energy stated.

The joint venture agreement between SHI and Bloom Energy follows a Concept approval for DNV GL's fuel-cell Aframax crude oil tankers, announced in September 2019. The LNG carrier is the next class of vessel to be submitted for design approval.

Maritime Business World