Hundreds of Additional Ships Needed to Meet Demand for Hydrogen

The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) released a report highlighting the need for clean hydrogen to decarbonize key sectors and the opportunities it presents for the shipping industry. The report, authored by Professor Stefan Ulreich, details the sectors and locations where hydrogen demand is increasing, as well as the timeline for this growth. The report emphasizes the role of clean hydrogen as an energy carrier to decarbonize hard-to-decarbonize sectors, bringing both challenges and opportunities.

To meet the global demand for green hydrogen, the report suggests that over 400 new hydrogen ships would be required. Key markets driving hydrogen demand include South Korea, Japan, and the EU, with Europe aiming to produce 20 million tonnes of hydrogen annually by 2030. Infrastructure, regulations, and increased access to electricity are crucial to expanding current hydrogen use cases and enabling new sectors to utilize hydrogen.

Professor Ulreich underlines the importance of developing infrastructure for both hydrogen production and transport, with the maritime industry playing a central role in connecting regions with surplus hydrogen to areas with high consumption. Meeting the annual global demand for hydrogen would necessitate an increase in the fleet for hydrogen transport by ship, with up to 411 new hydrogen ships or up to 500 ammonia transport ships needed.

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