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Newlight, a maritime energy technology company, announced the completion of the first long-range commercial voyage of its hydrogen hybrid power system, which was installed aboard a 57,038 DWT Lomar Shipping bulk carrier.
Tests were carried out during the vessel's commercial voyage from Singapore to Ghana, and it was found that the system reduced fuel consumption by 24%, carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions by 28%, and carbon monoxide (CO) emissions by 22%.
Newlight's retrofit transforms existing diesel engines into smart hybrid power systems, combining hydrogen with AI-guided real-time combustion control to achieve significantly higher energy efficiency and lower emissions.
Based on measured performance, the system is projected to save similar vessels $500,000 annually, with a technology payback period of less than 18 months.
"In a world where energy demand is accelerating, from global trade and shipping to AI and data centers, getting more performance from every unit of energy is increasingly important. That's precisely where Newlight fits in. We are creating a new energy layer for the diesel engines that already power the global economy, making them considerably more efficient and cleaner without the need for replacement," said Haran Cohen Hillel, co-founder and CEO of Newlight.
Newlight has signed commercial agreements covering 12 vessels with several shipping companies and plans to expand its fleet next year. Partners throughout this process include lomar labs, Undeterred Capital, CiRi Ventures, Fusion VC, Bird Energy, Aurelia, and Rina.
Newlight's retrofit method—which is installed in one to two weeks on vessels with traditional diesel engines offshore, without the need for drydocking—allows operators to immediately begin reducing both fuel costs and emissions, without having to wait for the delivery of a new vessel or a global alternative fuel infrastructure that does not exist on a large scale and is unlikely to be commercially available for several years. Furthermore, vessels can continue to operate during installation, so there is no downtime.
Unlike ammonia- or methanol-based alternatives, which force vessels to rely entirely on a new fuel, Newlight's system injects a small proportion of hydrogen into the ship's existing diesel combustion process. A real-time controller anticipates each combustion cycle milliseconds in advance, continuously optimizing hydrogen injection pressure and volume according to engine load, speed, and operating conditions.
The system also allows vessels to operate solely on diesel if hydrogen is unavailable, eliminating the infrastructure dependence and risk that have traditionally hindered the adoption of other alternative fuel systems in shipping.
