Newlight Hybrid Retrofit Cuts 24% Fuel on Lomar Bulk Carrier Voyage

A 199-meter bulk carrier operated by Lomar Shipping recently completed an impressive 8,500-nautical-mile journey from Singapore to Ghana, powered by Newlight’s innovative hybrid hydrogen-diesel engine retrofit. According to the data from Newlight, this retrofit managed to slash diesel consumption by approximately 24% while cutting CO₂ emissions by around 28%. And get this—none of that came at the cost of changing the ship’s size, speed, or cargo capacity. This pilot installation, backed by lomarlabs, went through rigorous Factory Acceptance Testing under the watchful eye of RINA.

How the hybrid system works

So, how does this hybrid system actually work? It compresses hydrogen into storage modules that fit right into the engine room of the ship, along with dedicated piping, safety valves, and injection nozzles. This setup transforms a regular marine diesel engine into a hybrid powertrain. There’s also an onboard controller keeping an eye on in-cylinder pressure, exhaust temperatures, and intake manifold conditions. It smartly meters hydrogen with lightning precision to create an ideal hydrogen-diesel blend. Thanks to hydrogen’s rapid flame speed, combustion efficiency gets a nice bump, which means less diesel is needed for the same power output. And safety first—if any sensors pick up overpressure, temperature spikes, or leaks, the hydrogen flow is automatically shut off, and the engine switches back to pure diesel. Talk about peace of mind!

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