London – Lomarlabs, the innovation division of Lomar Shipping, has partnered with Newlight, a company specializing in hybrid hydrogen-diesel engine retrofits, to drive the shift towards cost-effective, lower-emission solutions for the shipping industry. The collaboration focuses on retrofitting conventional diesel engines to run on a hydrogen-diesel blend, reducing fuel consumption by an average of 20% and significantly cutting greenhouse gas emissions. Workshop trials have already shown savings of up to 30%, and the partnership aims to replicate this success on operational vessels.
As the maritime industry works toward meeting the International Maritime Organization (IMO) decarbonization targets, shipowners are looking for ways to extend the lifespan of existing ships while ensuring that new vessels are built to be more sustainable. Newlight’s dual-fuel retrofit technology offers a low capital expenditure solution, allowing existing vessels to incorporate hydrogen as a cleaner fuel option. This improves energy efficiency while maintaining operational flexibility.
“We believe in taking immediate action to improve energy efficiency, reduce emissions, and use clean energy sources, all while keeping costs in check,” said Stylianos Papageorgiou, Managing Director of Lomarlabs. “Newlight’s solution fits perfectly with this approach. Decarbonization isn’t about waiting for the perfect fuel; it’s about acting now with every available tool. Newlight’s dual-fuel retrofit technology offers a scalable, cost-effective way to reduce both fuel use and emissions. This practical innovation bridges the gap between the current realities of shipping operations and the long-term goal of a net-zero maritime industry.”
The collaboration between Lomarlabs and Newlight will kick off with a pilot installation in summer 2025 on a Lomar vessel. This will involve collecting data, as well as conducting harbor and sea trials to assess the retrofit’s performance.
Haran Cohen Hillel, CEO of Newlight, emphasized the potential of hydrogen as a maritime fuel: “Hydrogen has enormous potential, but transitioning entire fleets to pure hydrogen is a long-term challenge. The industry cannot afford to wait. By retrofitting current fleets with hydrogen-blend technology, we can immediately cut emissions without a full overhaul of existing propulsion systems. This provides a practical, scalable solution for the industry.”
Lomar CEO Nicholas Georgiou highlighted the importance of the partnership: “As the global shipping industry embraces initiatives to reduce emissions, this collaboration between Lomarlabs and Newlight is a key step in implementing practical, short-term solutions that make vessels cleaner, more efficient, and more cost-effective to operate.”
This collaboration signals an important move toward a more sustainable future for the shipping industry, demonstrating that immediate action can be taken to reduce emissions while improving operational efficiency.
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