Hanwha Aerospace secures Korea’s first marine hydrogen fuel cell certification

Résumé détaillé

Hanwha Aerospace Co. has become the first company in South Korea to obtain type approval for a hydrogen fuel cell system designed for ships, marking a step toward commercializing…

Hanwha Aerospace Co. has become the first company in South Korea to obtain type approval for a hydrogen fuel cell system designed for ships, marking a step toward commercializing hydrogen-powered vessels. The certification makes it the fifth company globally to receive such approval.

Hanwha Aerospace said Tuesday that it had received type approval from the Korean Register (KR) for its 200-kilowatt marine hydrogen fuel cell system.

Type approval certifies that a product meets international maritime technical standards and classification society requirements. Without the certification, hydrogen fuel cells cannot be installed on ships or offshore structures such as drilling rigs, making it a key gateway to commercialization.

To secure the approval, the company had to demonstrate the system’s performance and safety under harsh maritime conditions. It completed vibration and inclination tests simulating ship movements and tilting, as well as inspections of its manufacturing processes and quality control systems by the Korean Register.

Hanwha Aerospace began developing its marine hydrogen fuel cell system in 2024. That year, it received Approval in Principle (AiP) from Norway’s classification society DNV for its marine proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) technology. While AiP validates a design’s feasibility, type approval confirms that the actual product is suitable for installation on vessels.

The system delivers energy efficiency of more than 50 percent at its rated output of 200 kW. Higher efficiency reduces fuel costs and allows vessels to travel farther on the same amount of fuel, making the system suitable for long-distance ships that require sustained high power output.

Hydrogen fuel cells generate electricity through a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, producing virtually no greenhouse gas emissions. Demand for cleaner marine propulsion systems is growing as the International Maritime Organization (IMO) tightens regulations toward its goal of…

Hanwha…

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