With 100-per-cent hydrogen propulsion, Aurelia’s newly unveiled green ship concept design has been issued with a Certificate of Approval in Principle from RINA. 

Aurelia’s new design concept is the ACD01 1000, a RORO vessel for transporting ro-ro cargo, with electric propulsion using highly compressed hydrogen as fuel. Beyond the green design, the difference is marked by the ship's hydrogen-based engine system, which can be applied to other ship designs.

RINA issued the certificate based on the newly published RINA Rules for Hydrogen Fuelled Ships and the RINA Guide for the Approval in Principle of Novel Technologies.

Zero-emission in port and during navigation

The fuel used to operate the vessel is 100-per-cent compressed hydrogen, which generates no environmentally harmful emissions, and the design can be considered as zero-emission not only in port, but also during navigation. The hybrid propulsion is based on battery and fuel cell power modules, and it is not supported by internal combustion engines supplied by petroleum-based conventional fuels. The batteries are used as an energy storage source to supply power for the hotel load too. 

“The world of zero emissions is a pioneering world open to new opportunities, which to some extent reminds me of the first operations in the heavy lift sector, where there was also no experience yet,” reflected Ton Bos, partner and co-founder of Aurelia. “In this sense, the co-operation with RINA is a strong signal that the maritime world is ready to work together for clean shipping.”

“Commitment is high and will bring realistic achievements”

“This co-operation gives us the opportunity to tune the recently published rules for hydrogen, to focus on new technical challenges as well as verify the technology readiness level of the components and systems used for the storage, supply and bunkering of hydrogen,” advised Patrizio Di Francesco, EMEA Special Projects Manager at RINA. “The commitment of the people involved is high and this will bring realistic achievements,” he added.

Furthermore, this new design complies well beyond the limits settled by EEDI Phase 3 according to MEPC.203(62), the ballast water treatment plant is in accordance with the latest amendments of the International Ballast Water Management Convention and the hull is designed to ensure excellent hydrodynamic and maximum propeller efficiency.

Part of long-term co-operation between Aurelia and RINA

“This new design for a compressed hydrogen RORO is part of a long-term co-operation between Aurelia and RINA in which we will develop liquefied hydrogen propulsion system that could be used for heavy lift, cruise and Ro-Pax vessels,” advised Raffaele Frontera, founding partner of Aurelia Green Concept Design. “This co-operation with RINA will ensure that the design of renewable ships becomes a reality and does not remain a distant dream,” he remarked in conclusion, adding: “From Aurelia, we are synergising with RINA to achieve this out-of-the-box design concept – we think big, we think about the future, we think about safety and our planet.”