The maritime industry is under increasing pressure to decarbonise while maintaining operational reliability and commercial viability. Although hydrogen has long been discussed as a promising marine fuel, practical experience from commercial vessel operation remains limited. This presentation provides insights from one of the first hydrogen fuel cell power systems in continuous operation on a commercial offshore support vessel (OSV) in the North Sea.

Based on operational experience since its commissioning in 2024, the presentation examines the technical, operational and regulatory challenges encountered during the development, class approval, installation and day-to-day operation of a commercial hydrogen power system. Topics include system integration into an existing vessel, hydrogen storage concepts, safety engineering, redundancy strategies, fuel cell performance under dynamic load conditions, and the interaction between hydrogen and battery-based energy management systems.

Particular attention will be given to the lessons learned from real-world operation. The presentation will discuss reliability, maintenance requirements, operational availability, crew acceptance and practical implications for shipowners considering hydrogen as an alternative marine fuel. It will also demonstrate how the knowledge gained from this pioneering deployment is directly influencing the development of a new generation of hydrogen-powered vessels. Current projects include multi-megawatt hydrogen power systems for different vessel types and are being developed in close collaboration with several classification societies. These projects provide valuable insights into the scalability of hydrogen technology, the transferability of operational experience and the evolution of approval processes across different maritime applications.

Beyond the technical aspects, the presentation explores the wider implications for commercial shipping. It identifies vessel types and operational profiles where hydrogen can already provide a technically and economically viable solution, while outlining the remaining challenges related to fuel supply infrastructure, regulatory development and scaling towards multi-megawatt applications.

Rather than presenting theoretical concepts, this contribution is based on operational experience and ongoing commercial projects. It offers practical guidance for shipowners, shipyards and technology providers by demonstrating how proven experience from today's hydrogen-powered vessels is accelerating the deployment of the next generation of zero-emission commercial shipping.