Classification society Bureau Veritas (BV) is participating in the new European research project “Navhys”, which aims to advance the use of liquid hydrogen (LH2) in maritime applications.
“Navhys” is funded by the Clean Hydrogen Partnership and brings together a consortium of 14 partners from across Europe with the common goal of decarbonizing the shipping industry.
Working closely with Ariane Group, BV has played a key role in developing the project proposal and consortium structure, bringing its expertise in safety, rule development and classification to support innovation in hydrogen-powered vessels. Navhys will focus on the most technically ambitious aspects of hydrogen use at sea: the use of LH2 type C tanks below deck as marine fuel for Service Operations Vessels (SOVs).
As part of this initiative, BV will issue three Approvals in Principle (AiP) for the liquid hydrogen storage system, the fuel system and its integration into an SOV as part of its design assessment. In addition to the classification and AiP, Bureau Veritas will also lead the safety research and development of rules specifically for liquid hydrogen in maritime environments. The project will also investigate solutions for onshore hydrogen supply and the life cycle of hydrogen-powered vessels.
Research project funded with €5 million
The research project officially started in January 2025 and will run for 36 months, with the EU contributing €5 million. The project is expected to reach technological readiness level (TRL) 8-9 by 2030, enabling scalable, real-world deployment by 2035/2040.
By combining maritime design with the space sector’s experience in cryogenic storage, the project aims to deliver a concept for SOVs to support offshore wind farms. This envisages storage tanks with a volume of 200-300 m3, holding 12-18 t of liquid hydrogen, bunkered at a rate of 10 t H2/h and capable of operating autonomously for up to ten days.
Coordination by Ariane Group
The project is coordinated by Ariane Group and brings together leading organizations and LH2 experts such as Engie, Gas and Heat, Ineris, Rise (Swedish research institute) and Vard.
“BV is proud to support the Navhys project and contribute to overcoming the technical and safety challenges associated with the use of liquid hydrogen in shipping,” said Matthieu de Tugny, President of Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore. “Our participation in this innovative consortium reflects our commitment to supporting advanced technologies that accelerate the decarbonization of shipping and help shape a safe, scalable future for hydrogen-powered vessels.”
Nicolas Hardouin, Program Manager at Ariane Group, said: “The design of the liquid hydrogen propellant system, which draws on our heritage of space system architectures and technologies, and its integration below deck in the ship, represents a breakthrough innovation compared to previous maritime projects and design guidelines.”
