BV launches rules for hydrogen-powered ships
Classification society Bureau Veritas (BV) has unveiled new rules for hydrogen-fuelled ships. They outline the technical requirements for safe bunkering, storage, preparation, distribution, and the use of hydrogen as a source of power generation on board ships.
The classification society revealed that it is currently working on some ten projects involving hydrogen as a fuel, either as a source of power for the main propulsion of smaller vessels, or as auxiliary power for larger ships.
The rules, NR678, cover monitoring and control systems, addressing specific safety challenges relating to the transport and use of hydrogen on ships, such as high flammability, as well as the need to store the fuel in very high pressure or low temperature conditions. Hydrogen is a liquid only below its boiling point of -252.9°.
The rules, which have also been designed to cover ‘”hydrogen-prepared” vessels, have been drawn up to mitigate the risk of hydrogen leakage, fire or explosion, with detailed requirements for machinery and engine design, as well as vessel configuration and the arrangement of fuel tanks and other systems on board.
They also include prescriptions for the ventilation of hazardous areas, venting and pressure relief systems, and monitoring and safety systems including vapour and gas detection.
Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore senior vice president, Technical & Operations, Laurent Leblanc, said: “The objective of these new rules is to bring the clarity needed to support industry pioneers as they harness the potential of hydrogen to deliver more sustainable shipping. We are at the start of an important technology turning point, with the introduction of hydrogen as a potential zero-carbon fuel on the road to decarbonisation. We are proud to be writing this new chapter in history together with our partnering shipowners, shipyards, and technology developers, and our colleagues across the BV Group, all of whom have contributed their expertise to help shape these rules, NR678.
“Hydrogen has great potential but its use as a fuel by ships is still not common,” he continued, “so it is essential that all guidance is tailored to hydrogen’s specific properties, and this is reflected in these new rules. At a time when IMO regulation on hydrogen is still being developed, BV is playing a key role in guiding the industry on the technical criteria and risk assessment processes that must be followed to enable innovation, while ensuring that the highest safety standards are met.”
