Gen2 Energy Awards Design Contract for Two Hydrogen Carriers

Norwegian ship designer Sirius Design & Integration has won a contract with Norway-based company Gen2 Energy AS to design two specialized ships for the transport of large quantities of containers with compressed hydrogen.

The Gen2 container carriers will be about 190 meters long and will be able to carry 500 40-foot containers.

"The vessels will be designed with the aim of leaving the least possible climate footprint. Using hydrogen in the propulsion systems of the vessels will be part of the design work. The ship design work is well underway," Gen2 Energy said Monday.

Gen2 Energy is currently developing large-scale production of hydrogen in Mosjøen, Norway, and to transport this hydrogen to countries in Northern Europe, it is said that a safe, effective, and green method for transporting a large number of containers with compressed hydrogen will be required. 

"Seaborne transport is a natural choice, but there are currently no vessels approved for carrying a large amount (>100) of containers with compressed hydrogen gas," Gen2 Energy said.

Sirius Design & Integration CCO Erik Haakonsholm: "The transportation of hydrogen is challenging, and we are very excited to be at the forefront of the development of technology, enabling cost-effective, safe, and green logistical solutions. By working jointly with the experienced team of Sirius D&I we feel confident that we will reach our set goals and be ready to deliver hydrogen to our clients when our production starts," said CEO of Gen2 Energy Jonas Meyer.

"We have set ourselves the goal of contributing to sustainable designs and solutions so that our customers in the international maritime and marine industry can grow safely, green, and profitably. Therefore, it is very gratifying that our first contract is a ship design and a customer with a green profile throughout the value chain."

According to a press release issued Monday, in addition to incorporating important safety aspects, Sirius will also develop an energy-efficient ship that can operate on zero-emission fuels.

Gen2 Energy has said it has, in partnership with DNV and HYEX Safety, used a risk-based approach method to identify requirements and recommendations for the design, with the purpose of ultimately reaching an Approval in Principle (AiP), for a specialized container vessel that can safely carry a larger quantity of hydrogen containers per shipment.

The company did not share info on the expected construction start or delivery dates for the two hydrogen container carriers. The company's About section on LinkedIn reads:"Gen2 Energy is dedicated to developing, building, controlling and operating an integrated value chain for green hydrogen within 2024."