Inspection, certification, ship classification and consulting engineering company RINA has granted approval in principle (AiP) for a new Ultramax bulker design developed by SDARI (Shanghai Merchant Ship Design & Research Institute) in collaboration with Almi Marine Management.
The approval was achieved through a joint development project (JDP) between RINA, Almi Marine, and SDARI. The vessel, based on SDARI’s latest-generation Green Dolphin 64 platform, is a dual-fuel LNG/hydrogen-powered Ultramax bulker, featuring hybrid propulsion and advanced energy efficiency technologies. The AiP recognises the design’s pioneering integration of battery-assisted electric propulsion, wind-assisted systems, and a novel hydrogen-reforming solution that eliminates the challenges of liquid hydrogen storage and supply. To award the AiP, RINA verified that the innovative design meets the applicable safety and environmental protection standards.
The new concept is claimed to redefine propulsion in merchant shipping. Its hull design increases cargo capacity while reducing fuel consumption. Hybrid-electric propulsion enhances adaptability to future innovations, and wind-assisted propulsion contributes further to energy efficiency.
Onboard hydrogen production provides a path to decarbonisation without the technical challenges of supply and storage, thereby improving the ship’s CII and optimising its pathway to GHG Fuel Intensity (GFI) compliance. It also provides a fuel pathway toward net-zero GHG emissions by 2050 through the progressive transformation of LNG into hydrogen onboard.
The design is considered to deliver the energy savings and reduced emissions needed to meet current regulatory requirements, while offering flexibility to easily integrate future solutions.
Image: The LNG/H2 hybrid concept is based on the Green Dolphin bulk carrier design (source: SDARI)
