Samskip is taking another significant step towards the future of sustainable maritime transport by bringing its pioneering SeaShuttle project into the European HyShip initiative, strengthening collaboration to accelerate the development of liquid hydrogen infrastructure and support the commercial deployment of zero-emission shipping.
The collaboration connects Samskip's two hydrogen-powered SeaShuttle vessels, currently under construction for operation between Rotterdam and Oslo, with a consortium of leading European maritime, energy, research and regulatory partners working to develop the technologies, infrastructure and operational standards needed to scale hydrogen-powered shipping across Europe.
Credit: Samskip
Samskip SeaShuttle
Unlike many demonstration projects, the Samskip SeaShuttles have always been designed with commercial operation in mind. Once introduced into service in 2027, the vessels will transport containerized freight between Rotterdam and Oslo using liquid hydrogen as an energy source, creating one of Europe's first green shipping corridors. Each vessel is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 25,000 tonnes annually when operating in zero-emission mode, while demonstrating that sustainable shipping can become a practical reality for customers and supply chains.
"Our SeaShuttles have always been about proving that hydrogen-powered shipping can work in everyday commercial operations, not just as a concept. By joining HyShip, we're taking an important step beyond the vessel itself. Together with our partners, we're helping develop the liquid hydrogen supply chain, bunkering infrastructure and operational knowledge needed to make hydrogen-powered shipping scalable across Europe." Jeroen Hollebrands, Head of Newbuilding & Projects, Samskip.
The HyShip project addresses one of the industry's most important challenges: creating an end-to-end hydrogen ecosystem that connects fuel production, port infrastructure and vessel operations. This integrated approach is essential to making hydrogen-powered shipping commercially viable on a larger scale.
The Samskip SeaShuttles form an important part of Samskip's broader sustainability strategy, which combines one of Europe's most energy-efficient multimodal logistics networks with continued investment in alternative fuels and zero-emission technologies. Hydrogen-powered shipping represents a key milestone in delivering Samskip’s ambitions while helping customers reduce the environmental impact of their supply chains.