Hanwha Aerospace stated on November 10, 2026, that it has become the first organization in Korea to receive type approval for a marine hydrogen fuel cell from the Korean Register, the ship classification society of the country.
The company said it was only the fifth time globally that a classification society had given type authorization for a hydrogen fuel cell for ships.
It is worth noting that classification societies are autonomous organizations that establish and uphold technical standards for the construction and operation of ships. Type approval is a confirmation that the product conforms to global maritime standards and the regulations of the society itself. Without it, hydrogen fuel cells cannot be mounted on ships or offshore structures like drilling vessels. The manufacturer has to prove safety and performance in rough maritime conditions to get approved.
Evaluations for marine environments, including vibration and tilting, have been passed by Hanwha Aerospace’s system. It also fulfilled the Korean Register’s inspection of the manufacturing process as well as the quality control mechanism.
Interestingly, hydrogen fuel cells produce electricity from a reaction of hydrogen and oxygen, and the only byproduct is water.
The company began manufacturing marine fuel cell systems in 2024 and has been manufacturing a 200-kilowatt system. Norwegian Classification Society DNV has granted a permit in principle for its polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell in March 2025, a preliminary certification in the design phase.
The approved system is over 50% energy-efficient even at its nominal output of 200 kilowatts, Hanwha Aerospace said. It saves on fuel and means a ship can travel further on the same fuel. The company said it is suited for long-haul vessels that need to operate at high power for long stretches of time.
The company plans to initially set up the fuel cells primarily on commercial vessels. It plans to utilize that domestic track record to take its business overseas, which includes foreign shipyards from there.
The type approval is the formal recognition that their technology can be used to enable hydrogen fuel cell for ships, said a Hanwha Aerospace official.
Eco-friendly hydrogen fuel cells have gone on to become significant as marine environmental regulations are tightening, so they are going to broaden their drive into ship markets at home as well as overseas.