Prince Madog hydrogen fuel cell retrofit wins LR certification in International Shipping News 11/06/2026 The Prince Madog will be the first sea-going, manned hydrogen retrofit of its kind. The UK-flagged research vessel Prince Madog has received certification for a hydrogen fuel cell retrofit, following approval by Lloyd’s Register (LR) under its ShipRight Risk Based Certification (RBC) framework. The certification was presented today at Seaworks 2026 in Southampton. The project, delivered by vessel owner O.S. Energy’s Naval Architecture and R&D office in collaboration with hydrogen and clean energy systems specialist Ecomar Propulsion, included the development of the vessel’s gaseous hydrogen storage system and the detailed integration design of the associated fuel cell, battery and ancillary systems. LR’s ShipRight RBC framework provides an assurance route for technologies that fall outside traditional regulatory frameworks. The approach allows innovative projects to move forward, while maintaining robust safety and risk management standards. The certification follows LR’s recent Approval in Principle (AiP) for the design, recognising the safe integration of the hydrogen system and its alignment with class requirements. The project was supported through the UK Government’s Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC). Mark Nijhoff, Lead Specialist Piping & Decarbonisation Systems, Lloyd’s Register, said: “Through our ShipRight Risk Based Certification framework, we are helping innovators bring new technologies to market while maintaining the highest standards of safety and assurance. “Projects such as the Prince Madog ‘TransShip II’ project are important because they demonstrate that hydrogen technologies can be implemented safely and pragmatically across the maritime sector.” Oliver Cornforth, Head of Projects at O.S. Energy, said: “As Project Lead for O.S. Energy throughout the TransShip II project, I am extremely proud to have achieved this recogniti