Lomarlabs, the innovation division of Lomar Shipping, has entered into a strategic partnership with Newlight, a company specializing in hybrid hydrogen-diesel engine retrofits. This collaboration aims to promote the adoption of affordable, lower-emission solutions within the shipping industry. Their focus will be on modifying conventional diesel engines to utilize a hydrogen-diesel mix, effectively reducing average fuel consumption by 20% and markedly lowering greenhouse gas emissions. Workshop trials have already shown potential savings of up to 30%, and the partnership aims to replicate these results on actual vessels.
As the maritime sector strives to meet International Maritime Organization (IMO) decarbonization targets, shipowners are actively seeking ways to extend the lifespan of their existing ships and ensure that new vessels are future-proof. Newlight’s dual-fuel retrofit technology presents a low capital expenditure solution, allowing older vessels to integrate hydrogen as a cleaner fuel source while maintaining operational flexibility and improving energy efficiency. Stylianos Papageorgiou, Managing Director of Lomarlabs, emphasized the company’s commitment to enhancing energy efficiency and emissions treatment. He stated that decarbonization is not about waiting for ideal fuels, but rather taking immediate action with available technologies.
He believes Newlight’s approach offers a pragmatic, scalable, and cost-effective method for reducing fuel usage and emissions, bridging the gap between current practices and the maritime industry’s long-term vision for net-zero emissions. In this collaboration, Lomarlabs and Newlight plan to implement a pilot installation scheduled for summer 2025 on a Lomar vessel, where they will gather data and carry out harbor and sea trials. Haran Cohen Hillel, CEO of Newlight, expressed optimism about the potential of hydrogen as a maritime fuel while acknowledging the challenge of transitioning fleets entirely to hydrogen. He stressed the urgency of taking actionable steps to decarbonize incrementally.
Lomar CEO Nicholas Georgiou reiterated the importance of this initiative as the shipping industry shifts toward net-zero emissions, highlighting the partnership with Newlight as a significant move towards implementing pragmatic and immediate solutions for cleaner and more efficient vessel operations.