The world's first short-range small container ship powered by green hydrogen energy is expected to be launched next year. As previously reported, India has taken the lead in initiating the construction of these two innovative ship types.

The Cochin shipyard in the southwestern state of Kerala started steel cutting for the first ship on Friday, marking the official start of the construction process. The ships were ordered by the Dutch company Samskip as part of its SeaShuttle project, which is partly funded by the Norwegian government.

The two SeaShuttle vessels will be equipped with 3.2MW hydrogen fuel cells and equipped with diesel engines as a backup power source. These vessels are defined as small "feeder" container ships whose main task is to transport 365 45-foot cube containers between continental Europe and Scandinavian markets.

In March 2023, the two ships were ordered by Samskip from Cochin Shipyard as part of the "SeaShuttle" project. The project aims to develop zero-emission vessels for "short-haul" voyages, defined as operations along major coastlines that do not involve voyages across vast oceans. Samskip has received a Norwegian government grant of NOK 149 million (about $14 million) to develop the two vessels in 2022. The company claims that the two vessels will be the first green container ships with hydrogen-powered technology, specifically designed for short-distance maritime transport.Editor/Zhang Liyuan