India’s Cochin Shipyard has secured another key order as it aims to pioneer zero-emission shipping.
The shipbuilder said it will construct two feeder container ships that will run on hydrogen, with diesel as a back-up, for Dutch operator Samskip.
The deal comes with two options, but price and delivery dates have not been revealed.
The ships will carry 365, 45-foot-high cube containers for European markets.
Cochin said the vessels will be among the first such zero-emissions units in the world.
They will use hydrogen fuel cells in a hybrid power system, and there will be on board storage for hydrogen fuel.
“This is an ambitious project under the Norwegian government green funding programme aimed at emission-free transport solutions by adopting sustainable path-breaking future technologies,” Cochin added.
In zero-emission mode, each vessel is expected to cut 25,000 tonnes of CO2 per year.
“With this order, [Cochin] has further strengthened its position among the global league of early movers in sustainable high-end green future technology in the shipping sector,” the shipyard said.
The contract represents Cochin’s second major green shipping order in five months.
Pelagic Partners order
In November, Cyprus-based shipping fund Pelagic Partners confirmed it was behind India’s first order for commissioning service operation vessels (CSOVs).
The company, set up by Hartmann Group chief executive Niels Hartmann and Atef Abou Merhi, said it is expanding into offshore wind by launching its third fund, called Pelagic Wind Fund.
Pelagic contracted two firm CSOVs and four optional vessels at Cochin in a deal worth more than €350m ($352m).
The new ships are due in the first quarter of 2025.
The units are based on Kongsberg’s UT 5519 HL-design to be “the most environmentally friendly vessels of this type seen to date”, Pelagic said.
Zero-emission capabilities are already integrated through dual-fuel engines and hybrid propulsion, the company added.
