Ricardo is working with the sustainable HYdrogen powered Shipping (sHYpS) consortium to design and develop hydrogen fuel cell propulsion technologies to power the next generation of zero emissions passenger ships.

sHYpS is centered around the idea of developing a swappable storage system for liquid hydrogen, based on new 40' c-type ISO containers that can be loaded and unloaded by on-board facilities.

The project involving 13 partners in six European countries will accelerate the adoption of hydrogen as a renewable fuel in the maritime industry. The work has been funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) under the UK Government’s Horizon Europe funding guarantee.

Ricardo is leading the specification, design, build and test of a 375kW fuel cell module and the design of a 40-foot containerized multi-MW power plant that combines the outputs of several fuel cell modules. The containerized solution is intended to be installed on board passenger ships.

The shipping industry is facing considerable challenges to find a solution to achieve zero-emissions navigation in line with future global regulatory targets. This project is at the forefront of innovation, with the prospect of using hydrogen fuel cell technology to support the industry meeting its sustainability objectives. We’re delighted to be part of the consortium creating and delivering innovation in this sector. Our involvement recognises our growing expertise and experience in hydrogen and fuel cell technology, where we are working with a range of customers to provide clean, efficient solutions, which reduce carbon and emissions across several sectors, including automotive and aerospace.

—Adrian Schaffer, President of Emerging Mobility at Ricardo

Ricardo will be engaging with consortium member Lloyd’s Register to initiate the classification process for the system in line with classification rules that are currently being developed. Testing of the first module will take place in Ricardo’s new 400kW hydrogen fuel cell test chamber, which forms part of the Ricardo global center of excellence for hydrogen, de-fossilized fuels and electrified transport engineering at the company’s UK headquarters.