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RINA awarded an Approval in Principle (AiP) certificate to a unique concept vessel that would be an energy-harvesting ship, designed to produce green hydrogen as it sails the world and supply it to ships and other users. The approval was issued to Drift Energy, a UK-based start-up launched in 2021.
The company says it is following a roadmap towards building the world's first net-positive vessel. Drift plans to launch its first ship during 2027, subsequently moving to series production. It reports already having a current orderbook of more than 30 vessels.
DRIFT's energy harvesting ships would harness deep ocean wind to produce green energy at sea and deliver it worldwide. The vessels use hydrokinetic turbines under the hull to produce electricity, which is then converted via electrolysis into green hydrogen fuel and stored onboard for delivery to ports and other demand centers around the world. They would also incorporate a proprietary AI-enabled routing technology, which would enable the ships to locate and follow optimal weather patterns, achieving ultra-high load factors compared to other renewable energy sources.
Each vessel would have an onboard megawatt-class electrolyzer to produce and store gigawatts of green hydrogen. The hydrogen payload would be stored in standard 40-foot containers, ready to be lifted ashore. Alternatively, the hydrogen can be pumped ashore, and the vessel will also be able to directly bunker other vessels in port or at anchor. Future capability will also allow refueling at sea.
"The AiP validates the vessel's feasibility from a class perspective and is a key step towards full plan approval," said Ben Medland, Drift Energy's Founder and CEO. "Our ships are set to play a pivotal role in the global energy transition, and I am delighted that DRIFT is defining the framework that such innovative vessels will be evaluated against in the future."
It is the first time that an AiP has been awarded for an energy-harvesting ship, and, through RINA's risk-based Approval in Principle framework, it confirms that DRIFT's novel design meets safety levels equivalent to established marine industry standards while enabling clean energy generation at sea.
Patrizio Di Francesco, North Europe Special Projects Business Development Manager and Principal Engineer at RINA, said, "Through close technical collaboration with Drift Energy, RINA has assessed a novel design that introduces new approaches to the generation and transport of clean energy at sea, while addressing classification and safety requirements from the earliest stages of development."
Drift also highlights the advantages over other forms of green hydrogen generation. It notes that the ships can be built and delivered in significantly less time than is required to develop wind farms. They will also be able to position the ships to maximize their yield based on shifting wind patterns, and the moveability of the ships means they can not only generate the alternative fuel, but it can also be brought to where it is needed.
In addition to the potential to provide marine fuel, Drift points to the opportunities with superyachts. It says it can also supply heavy industry and deliver green hydrogen to small island nations that will not have the generation capabilities.
Fuente: Maritime Executive
