Cruise News - Maritime News

It has reached a point in its history where it has to pick the right path to meet its decarbonization targets. Specifically, the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) climate strategy has set out to reduce the total greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% by 2050. Nevertheless, the shipping world is yet to carve out the strategy on how to achieve that.

World Maritime News spoke with Traver Kennedy, Chairman and CEO of Joi Scientific, on the potential of hydrogen to be the fuel of the future. Joi Scientific, headquartered at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is leading the development in efficient extraction technology to produce hydrogen energy from water.

Could hydrogen be the zero-emissions fuel the shipping industry strives for?

Kennedy believes hydrogen is the ideal zero-emissions fuel as the product of its combustion is only water vapor. As explained, hydrogen is already fueling various modalities in California, Japan and across Europe―including autos, buses, trains, and aircraft―but its adoption in the marine environment has been slower to date.

Over the recent period there have been some projects exploring hydrogen as marine fuel in the passenger shipping industry, mostly ferries. Most notably, in September last year cruise ship owner Viking Cruises unveiled plans for a liquid hydrogen-fueled cruise ship, and earlier this year Ferguson Marine announced its plans on developing the world’s first renewables-powered hydrogen ferry – HySeas III.

However, it appears that the technology is still in its infancy.

Read the entire Interview here...