Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, the holding company of South Korea’s top shipbuilder, Hyundai Heavy Industries, has signed a memorandum of understanding with South Korea’s Doosan Fuel Cell Company to jointly develop fuel cells for ships.
The pair are working on a megawatt (MW)-class solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) system with an aim to roll it out by 2024.
Another Korean major yard, Samsung Heavy Industries, is also busy pursuing a fuel cell development strategy.
Bloom Energy and Samsung Heavy signed a joint development agreement (JDA) last year to design and develop fuel cell-powered ships.
Haeki Jang, Samsung Heavy’s vice president of shipbuilding and drilling sales engineering, commented at the time of the JDA signing: “Our goal is to replace all existing main engines and generator engines with these highly efficient solid oxide fuel cells to align with the International Maritime Organization’s 2030 and 2050 environmental targets.”
