Newlight reports 24% reduction in vessel fuel consumption — TechCrunch
San Francisco Bay Area startup Newlight announced the completion of the first long-distance commercial voyage of a cargo vessel using its hydrogen injection system. During the month-long 8,500-nautical-mile journey from Singapore to Ghana, the technology was installed on a 650-foot bulk carrier operated by Lomar Shipping, TechCrunch reports.
According to Newlight, the system reduced fuel consumption by 24% and carbon dioxide emissions by 28%. The company says its solution can be installed on an existing vessel in less than two weeks without requiring it to enter dry dock.
How the system works
Newlight's development is designed for diesel engines in cargo vessels and uses compressed hydrogen as an additional fuel. The system continuously monitors engine operation, including exhaust temperature, combustion pressure, and intake air pressure.
Based on this data, it determines the timing of hydrogen injection with millisecond precision and adjusts its supply as pistons move in the cylinders. Co-founder Evyatar Cohen explained that the technology's goal is not to generate additional power, but to reduce the supply of conventional fuel to the engine through the use of hydrogen.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Newlight also says its hybrid system can reduce fuel consumption and emissions by more than 20% and provide annual savings of up to $500,000 for individual vessels.
Investment and plans
Newlight has raised $9 million in seed funding. Participants in the round included lomarlabs, the venture arm of Lomar Shipping; BIRD Energy, a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of Energy and Israel's Ministry of Energy; Undeterred Capital and CiRi Ventures; as well as Fusion VC, an accelerator for Israeli startups in the United States.
The company also announced that it had signed agreements to install the system on 12 vessels across several companies. Newlight expects broader adoption of the technology in fleets next year. The founders are considering applications for the development beyond the maritime industry, but plan to focus on shipping in the near term.
