Ship fuel cells get underway: Hanwha wins type approval; Samsung Heavy Industries to co-develop with a Japanese firm

[Financial News] The era of eco-friendly marine fuel cells is dawning. Hanwha Aerospace has received type approval for a marine hydrogen fuel cell for the first time in South Korea, while Samsung Heavy Industries has teamed up with a Japanese company to co-develop solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs).
Hanwha Aerospace said on the 10th that it had received type approval for a marine hydrogen fuel cell from the Korean Register (KR). It is the first such approval in South Korea and the fifth worldwide.
Hanwha Aerospace has been developing a 200-kW-class hydrogen fuel cell since 2024. The system has an energy efficiency of more than 50% even at its rated output of 200 kW. It can reduce fuel costs and allow a vessel to travel farther while carrying the same amount of fuel.
With this type approval, hydrogen fuel cells can now be installed on ships and drilling vessels. Hanwha Aerospace plans to equip commercial vessels with the fuel cells and expand its business overseas, building on its track record in South Korea.
A Hanwha Aerospace representative said, “This type approval is official recognition of our technological capabilities to install hydrogen fuel cells on actual ships,” adding, “As the importance of eco-friendly hydrogen fuel cells grows amid recently tightened marine environmental regulations, we will step up our efforts to make inroads into ship markets at home and abroad.”
Samsung Heavy Industries signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on SOFC development and commercialization the previous day at its research and development (R&D) center in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, with Japan’s Morimura SOFC Technology.
SOFCs generate electricity by reacting hydrogen or liquefied natural gas (LNG) with oxygen. The companies will jointly develop the technology for use on ships and in artificial intelligence (AI) data centers. Compared with conventional engine-based power generation facilities, SOFCs not only reduce carbon emissions but also offer higher power-generation efficiency.
The two companies aim to complete development by 2028. Samsung Heavy Industries will handle engineering, system integration and commercialization, while Morimura will supply the cells and stacks, the key components. Samsung Heavy Industries plans to apply SOFCs to unmanned, autonomous electric ships and floating data centers (FDCs), among other uses.

[email protected] Kim Yun-ho Reporter