Hanwha Aero becomes the first in Korea to obtain type approval for marine hydrogen fuel cells

Hanwha Aerospace announced on the 10th that it had obtained type approval for a marine hydrogen fuel cell for the first time in Korea from Korea Register (KR).

Hanwha Aerospace explained that it passed an examination of the manufacturing process and quality management system after undergoing a marine environmental test with various variables such as vibration and inclination. This is the fifth time in the world that a marine hydrogen fuel cell has received classification approval.

Type approval is a process to certify that a product complies with international maritime technical standards and classification regulations. Without this certification, hydrogen fuel cells cannot be mounted on marine structures such as ships or drillships.

The energy efficiency of the hydrogen fuel cell system that received type approval this time exceeds 50% even at a rated output of 200 kilowatts (kW). High efficiency can reduce fuel costs and allow navigation farther with the same amount of fuel.

Hanwha Aerospace began developing a hydrogen fuel cell system for ships in 2024 and has been developing a 200kW hydrogen fuel cell. In the same year, concept approval (AiP) for marine polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEMFC) was obtained from the Norwegian Register of Shipping (DNV).

Hanwha Aerospace plans to promote the installation of hydrogen fuel cells mainly on commercial ships and expand its business overseas based on its domestic performance.

An official from Hanwha Aerospace said, "This type approval is the result of official recognition of the technology that allows hydrogen fuel cells to be mounted on actual ships. As the importance of eco-friendly hydrogen fuel cells has increased due to the recent strengthening of marine environmental regulations, we will accelerate our efforts to target the domestic and overseas ship markets."