Japan’s shipping giant Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) and South Korea’s Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) have received approval in principle (AiP) from Lloyd’s Register for the design of a 174,000-cubic meter (cbm) liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier (LNGC) equipped with Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) technology.

Discussions and development of the application of 300 kW of SOFC to the 174,000 LNG carrier as a pilot project have been ongoing since mid-2022 in collaboration with MOL and SHI, which reached an agreement on a mutual application in June 2024. The system is expected to undergo joint equipment verification starting from early 2027.