Vard, one of 14 European partners in the NavHyS’ project, which aims to provide a concept for a below-deck liquid hydrogen (LH2) storage and fuel system for an SOV to propose a fully decarbonised maintenance solution for wind energy providers, as part of developing LH2 as a sustainable energy carrier for maritime transport.
The first year shows significant progress across all major work packages:
- LH₂ onboard tank: A preliminary design of the tank, tailored to the specific requirements of liquid hydrogen storage, has been completed.
- LH₂ fuel system: A reference architecture for the system has been selected, preliminarily confirming the technical opportunities unlocked by the integration of LH₂
- Offshore wind support vessel: The first versions of the general arrangement, system designs and relevant technical documentation, have been developed, and a conceptual 3D render of the ship, illustrating the integration of the LH₂ tank and the fuel system on board, has been created.
- Ship operations specification: The technical and operational requirements for the hydrogen-fuelled vessel have been defined.
- Hydrogen refuelling supply chain: A preliminary bunkering protocol has been proposed.
- life cycle assessment (LCA): A framework for conducting an LCA has been established to evaluate the environmental and social impacts of the NavHyS solutions.
- Safety analysis: A mini-Hazid, identifying potential hazards related to LH₂ bunkering, storage, transfer, and onboard use, has been conducted.
With a solid technical foundation now in place and strong collaboration across the consortium, NavHyS is entering its next stage with confidence. The coming months will focus on further integration, validation, and refinement of the project’s solutions, bringing the maritime sector one step closer to the safe and sustainable adoption of liquid hydrogen as a zero-emission fuel.
VARD’s role, in close collaboration with Ariane Group, customer North Star, and the other 11 partners, is provision of the design of a service operation vessel (SOV) optimised from the ground up for LH2 powered operations.
The NavHyS project works alongside the sHYpS initiative; both projects are intensifying their cooperation to accelerate hydrogen innovation in the maritime sector. The aim of sHYpS is to advance the transition toward zero-emission shipping through the development and demonstration of a novel LH₂ swappable storage solution, adaptable across multiple types of vessels. By aligning efforts and strengthening coordination, the two projects can reinforce Europe’s ambition to drive the decarbonisation of the shipping industry, by deploying safe, scalable and zero-emission hydrogen technologies. The NavHyS and the sHYpS projects are co-funded by the European Union and supported by the Clean Hydrogen Partnership.
Image: NavHyS and sHYpS join forces for sustainable shipping powered by liquid hydrogen (source: Vard Group)
