Policy barriers to hydrogen ships in Europe
The report 'Policy barriers to vessel design and policy changes needed to stimulate greater activity' was prepared within the project North Sea Hydrogen Valley Ports by Florian Chapalain (Ballard Power Systems), Andrew Win (Ballard Power Systems) and Friederike Fontes (ISL).
About the report
Hydrogen vessels offer opportunities for cleaner shipping, but their practical implementation hinges on clear regulations. This report provides insight into the policy and regulatory choices that influence the design and scale-up of hydrogen-powered vessels. It reveals where policy barriers for hydrogen vessels arise in Europe, particularly around safety, certification, and standardization, and which policy adjustments can help get more projects off the ground. This gives designers, ship owners, and ports more control over planning, lead times, and risks.
The report provides insight into, among other things:
- Safety as a determining factor: due to the properties of hydrogen, measures are necessary to address fire and explosion risks. This influences design choices such as tank location, ventilation, and material selection.
- Certification takes time: due to the lack of global regulations, the IMO Alternative Design Process, including HAZID and risk assessments (FSA/QRA), is often used. Type approval of components is also complex.
- Regulations are under development: IMO CCC presented interim guidelines in 2024. Further development is targeted for 2025 and possible approval by IMO MSC in 2026.
- Priorities for acceleration: clear global standards, greater consistency between classification societies, and better alignment between certification and decarbonization policy.
Disclaimer
This project received funding from Interreg North Sea. This page reflects the author's views only, and Interreg North Sea is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains.
