India’s Government-run shipbuilder, Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) bagged an order for designing and constructing two ‘zero-emission’ medium-sized container vessels for a European logistics firm Samskip Group.

This is said to be one of the world’s first Zero Emission Feeder Container Vessels that will be powered using Hydrogen Fuel Cells and ultimately with Green Hydrogen. Fuel cells are devices that generate electricity through an electrochemical reaction, instead of combusting (burning) the fuel. In a fuel cell, hydrogen and oxygen are combined to generate electricity, heat, and water.

Feeder container vessels are regarded as medium-sized cargo vessels that load up containers from different ports, and take them to a larger container terminal, from where the containers are loaded onto a larger vessel for further transport. Samskip Group, headquartered in Rotterdam, Netherlands, offers the transport and related services by land, sea, rail and air, around the world, focusing on cost-efficient and environmentally friendly solutions. 

Funded by the Norwegian Government’s green funding programme and aimed at emission-free transport solutions, the total cost for two ships would be Rs.550cr or $70mn. Each of these ships can carry around 365 units of 45-foot long containers. Once operational, the vessels are intended to serve the European Market where sustainable transportation solutions are in high demand. The vessel deliveries are scheduled from Q3 2025 onwards.  

According to CSL, while in ‘zero-emission’ mode each vessel is expected to achieve around 25,000 tons of CO2 reduction per year. The vessels are equipped with Hydrogen Fuel cells in a Hybrid power system with Diesel Generator backup for longer endurance. It will have an onboard storage facility for Hydrogen fuel and will be fitted with Azimuth thrusters for propulsion and high manoeuvrability. They will achieve zero emission operations in ports also by using green shore power at the port of call, CSL added.

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